The Bro Code
by Zosie
Summary: Isabella Swan was banished from Forks when her father caught her in her bedroom with a certain copperhaired boy in their freshman year of high school.  Now she's back, as a teacher this time.  You know, a grown up, with nobody telling her what to do.AH  M
1. Chapter 1

**Okay, hows about this one? Please review but be kind, I gotta read something! I decided to keep the chapters maybe shorter, seeing I have to read it out loud?**

**I have a beta so everything will be going to her first, please thank Macfaerie for all her wonderful help. I hope to update twice a week if she can handle that.**

****Translations: budgie=small parakeet , tame bird kept in a cage by people in Oz and UK. Not to be confused with 'budgie smugglers', small tight male swim pants usually called Speedos (so tight it looks like the wearer may be smuggling a budgie in them)****

The Bro Code

Chapter One

BPOV

Returning to Forks High felt like failing, to be honest. I know I was coming back as a teacher this time, but I always imagined I was cut out for something...grander. Something more than this little school in this little rainy town. After four years of college, and a year teaching at a rather exclusive private school, I thought I was on track. Then I was _'let go'_ due to _'economic reasons'_. It was the old 'last in - first out' policy, and at first, it was no big deal.

At the time I graduated there were plenty of schools and plenty of teaching positions. Now though private schools are actually canceling up to half of their classes with so many people hit by the economic downturn. Suddenly those who had struggled and managed to just scrape together the fees by paring down every other expense they had, can't manage it anymore. Kids who had attended posh cushy schools are now back in the public sector and that's the only place new teachers are needed. Of course, that means plenty of private school teachers are in the same boat I am and we are all competing against one another. Suddenly I'm practically begging for any job, anywhere. My anywhere turns out to be back in rainy little Forks, Washington.

Walking through the empty schoolyard my mind is filled with memories, and my lips form a smile completely unbidden. This is where we sat, Alice, Jessica, Lauren, and Angela, a few of the boys and me, nobody special. We all went everywhere together. Eric was probably the most memorable because of his antics, his 'surfing' the tables in the lunchroom, his jumping off the roof of the science lab, breaking both ankles. It had been a dare, and even while he screamed in agony, he held his hand out for the other maniacs to pay up seeing he had indeed won their bet.

Then there was Tyler. Who could forget Tyler? I couldn't, the boy had almost run over me in the parking lot one winter. That was the winter my father sent me away … to live with my Mom and stepfather.

Shaking my head at the memory, I don't want to go there, not today.

Filling my mind with other memories as I passed the library, it was where we girls escaped the boys to discuss so many things alone. First kisses, first touches, a lot of firsts. Of course, being the daughter of the local Police Chief I had been last to experience the firsts. The boys were all very aware of the sidearm my father wore and nobody wanted to argue with that metal cockblocker. Dad's whole attitude had been clear. _'Touch my daughter and I shoot you.'_

He wouldn't.

He didn't.

No, he just packed up my stuff and sent it on to me the next day, after driving me, still smelling of _him,_ straight to SeaTac and putting me on a plane.

The girls had warned fifteen year old me that losing your virginity could hurt. They had no idea just how much.

I assume Dad didn't kill the boy in question because he continued his job here fora few years afterwards and never got locked up himself, so I had to conclude no bloodshed happened.

While my memories twist and turn, I realize I hadn't been the ideal teen. My friends had been a little adventurous, but we really did nothing that bad compared to teenagers today. I smile at the smoking lessons behind the science building, God, I thought I'd asphyxiate the first time Mike Newton handed me his half done cigarette and taught me to inhale.

I'd never wanted to smoke cigarettes but the others were all getting ready for their next little adventure, and I couldn't be part of it if I didn't know how to smoke tobacco.

That was Step One.

Step Two was going to be even more exciting.

Alice, who was tiny, hyper, and so innocent looking, had discovered her parent's supply of pot. After having tried it out herself, she promised to bring some to Mike's upcoming party. It was to be the party of the year. The very first _unsupervised_ party we had ever experienced and our introduction to more than a little weed.

Mike's Dad was a thrifty man and he bought _everything_ in bulk, for the considerable savings discount. Everything included Jack Daniels and Johnny Walker and just about every other liquor we had never heard of or tasted. It promised to be quite a night.

A night I needed to be prepared for and trained to enjoy.

Cigarettes now, weed at the party. At the time I was the only non smoker in the group.

I took a long drag off Mike's cigarette. Then I coughed and choked, my eyes streaming with tears. The others decided this was probably one lesson better learned away from school, so I met Mike in town that afternoon, needing to _'study'_ at the local library.

The kid's playground was situated in the front of the town's public parkland. It has trails winding through the edge of the forest that surrounds Forks like some soft green overcoat. We hiked a little way up one of paths less frequented than most, and crouched on a convenient rock, as Mike taught me the mysteries of tobacco smoking and how to breathe in air as well as the toxic smoke.

I still coughed and gagged until I thought I would vomit, but he encouraged me to take it slowly. That month I had 'so much studying to do'; we met every single afternoon until I got it right.

_"Be calm, just enjoy the flavor. Breathe it in, now hold, right … now, exhale. See, nothing to it.", he encouraged_

_"Nothing to it, but a swift and sudden death if Charlie smells tobacco on me. I have to get home and change." I replied_

I may have gone a little overboard, washing my entire outfit right down to my underwear and my paranoia fueled by guilt had me sniffing my clean clothing constantly. I hung it out on the outside clothesline to dry and flap in the fresh air, and if it got rained on, that was even better, another rinsing. Then I jumped in the shower, brand new cheap and stinky strawberry shampoo in hand and scrubbed the living daylights out of my hair, then cleaned my teeth vigorously, brushing until my gums bled.

Was it worth it?

Well the first two times I lit up, I thought I was going to choke to death on this big bubble in my throat but that feeling passed and when the high hit, I have to say I liked it.

No longer that shy and plain little Bella, I became the amazingly gorgeous and talented _Isabella_, loved by all, envied by girls, wanted by boys. She could sing, she could dance, _she_ was amazing.

She also hated coming back down and being Bella again.

Alcohol added to the high and after Mike's party, I didn't dare go home. Charlie would have skinned me alive. Alice called Charlie, who was fortunately called into work, and explained her Mom was ill and I was needed to help...with what, I have no idea. Babysit the budgie maybe while Alice saw to her mother, presumably. The fact her Mom was actually out on a date was great because nobody was there, but Alice, to witness my shame and pain when I spent half the night losing that fiery alcohol, and praying to the porcelain god.

Alice? She was fine.

She toked up regularly and was no virgin to either alcohol or the usual meaning of the word. She had been banging some boy for months and telling us girls every damned detail. It sounded kind of icky, to be honest and she insisted that with a condom, it really wasn't that gross, not as bad as you would imagine.

No matter that kind of put me off doing it, even if there was a boy who was willing. Really, '_Not that gross_', hardly an encouraging review.

My turn did finally come. It was that year, and it was my downfall. Charlie had his schedule on the kitchen wall and it clearly showed he was doing an all-nighter that night, on the night I invited a new student to Forks High into my bedroom. I had gotten to the point where I was sure I was the only virgin left, and couldn't bear the shame a moment longer.

People should honor their schedule that's all I can say.

Him coming home and finding a certain copper haired green eyed boy in my bed was unfortunate, but I … we were soooo lucky he didn't get home even earlier.

All he saw was Edward Masen and I lying on my bed. I can't say fully clothed because that would be a lie. Edward had his boxers and jeans back on and I was half dressed, having freaked out at the blood. Edward took a shower with me, where he had washed us clean, then patted me dry.

So, yeah, Charlie could have gotten home earlier and caught us in the act, as it were.

Mind you, that was a fairly small window, teenage virgins are not known for a long first time.

I guess in hindsight, I should have put a top on but Edward was admiring my newly grown rack and paying it homage with his fingers and tongue and he pulled back just as Charlie opened my bedroom door.

_"You, get dressed and get out of my house,"_ he screamed at Edward, who did just that.

_"Bella, what the fuck was going on here?"_ he asked me.

_"Um, well, we were just...I was showing...Edward was looking ..."_

_"He had better have been looking at not touching. Looking is bad enough,"_ Charlie had hollered and I had cringed._" Maybe we need to go see that new doctor in town and get you examined."_

I did everything I could to avoid that. Cried, begged, screamed.

Edward was fifteen as well but I still thought he could get branded a sex offender or something because I wasn't exactly the sixteen I had told him.

Dr Cullen had listened to Charlie bluster on about _'that damned punk kid' _that had been _'perving' _at his daughter. Thank God Dr. Cullen suggested he should have a chat with me, alone.

Charlie sat outside and Dr Cullen asked me if I had allowed this unnamed boy to touch me anywhere.

_"No,"_ I answered, crying.

_"He didn't have sex with you, Bella? You need to tell me. If he was experienced, then you need to be tested for a variety of possible STD's."_

I swore black and blue the boy had not laid a single finger on me and he believed me, thank the gods. Edward had sworn he had never so much as felt up a girl before and it had been a somewhat clumsy cashing of our v cards so I believed him.

He asked me if I wanted to tell him the name of the boy and I shook my head. Edward was their foster son so I didn't want to land him in trouble.

Dr Cullen explained to my father that it was against policy to internally examine a virgin without a clear need and he was convinced nothing had happened, just a little displaying of my chest area. No harm done.

No harm done.

No harm except Charlie decided he was not cut out to raise a teenage girl and shipped me to my Mom and I had not been back since. I refused to visit him on school breaks, no way was I going back to be his little Princess after that.

I know it was irrational, I was the one who did the crime, but I made Charlie serve the punishment.

The times Renee got all sorry for her ex husband and tried to talk me into flying back for just one single holiday, I made myself throw up and convinced her I had a phobia about flying, though it was cured by the time Phil bought tickets to take us to Hawaii for the next break.

And Disneyland for Christmas also seemed to be okay. I guess I had some form of selective flying phobia.

It only occurred when I had to go to Forks.

Charlie gave up and flew to us. He stayed in the guestroom of ex-wife, and her second husband. It was weird but better than the alternative. I was convinced all my friends knew what happened, and I was terrified of facing them. Alice emailed me and asked me what the Hell was going on. I was there one day, then I was gone the next. I asked her what she had heard and she swore nobody knew anything.

I couldn't flat out ask what Edward had said, if anything, but I hedged around it, and mentioned Mike and Tyler _'or any other boy'_ and she snorted.

_"Did you have like, group sex or something?"_

_"God no, I … my Mom wanted me to move here, she hates Forks and doesn't think Forks High offers a good enough education" _I lied, and Alice was mad at my Mom, but got over it.

Except now here I am, back at Forks High.

Talk about déjà' vu.

Mike took me into the staff lunchroom and introduced me to the other teachers and once again, our eyes met across a crowded lunchroom.

And once again, his green eyes sparkled at my brown.

And once again, his mouth lit up with a smile, kind of a cross between a lopsided grin and a smirk.

"… And this is Terry O'Brien, and this is Edward Cullen," Mike said, after telling me the names of every teacher in the room and finally indicating my green eyed Romeo of Freshman year.

Cullen?

Uh uh, I would know him anywhere.

That was Edward Masen.

Alive and well, and still in possession of all his limbs.

And all his fuck hot beauty, in fact, fuck me, the boy had grown into a beautiful man.

"Isabella, delighted to meet you." he said. My heart dropped. He had forgotten me!

"Again," he whispered, leaning in as if to brush some imaginary fluff from my blouse.

Oh … maybe not.


	2. Chapter 2

**Good news, I have a beta, Macfaerie, so I'm hoping she will keep me in line and translate the expressions that are too Australian. I think we will update twice a week, if that suits her schedule. She has kids and a job and a life and writes as well so my schedule is now whatever she can handle. Don't forget, she's virtually translating my mess to American (Here's me thinking we spoke the same language) so it's a major job.**

**And thank you, the others who offered to be my Beta, I wasn't reading my reviews at the time so didn't know of the offers.**

The Bro Code

Chapter 2

EPOV

Watching Isabella Swan walk into the staff lunchroom had been a wonderful surprise. Of course I had thought of her often over the past ten years. Even boys don't forget their first.

After Charlie shipped her away from me back in High School, I had been scared of what he was going to do about us almost being caught in the act, but nothing had happened and it left me wondering if he was even aware who I was.

I had barely been in the school a month and Bella and I had struck up an early friendship after I was assigned the seat beside hers in Biology. However, we had noticed one another before that.

The day I arrived at the school, I spent the morning at the office getting registered and such, and a boy named Eric Yorkie had been allotted to show me around the buildings with my schedule. It was a tiny school compared to the one I had attended in Boston so not at all intimidating, but it seemed quite boring and I felt like we had moved to Nowhere USA.

Forks, Washington was small, wet, and uninteresting.

Eric took me into the lunchroom and I had been surprised at the noise level. A hundred voices echoed in my head as the students all laughed, chatted, and kidded about with one another under the tin roofed building that echoed with the sound of rain, a constant, I was to learn in time.

I was sitting at Eric's table with Mike, Tyler, and Ben, my new best buds, when I glanced around the room, sighing at the confirmation of what I suspected.

_Small town, small town minds, nobody of interest here at all._

Suddenly my gaze met a pair of velvety brown eyes and I felt my mouth form a smile.

Wow.

Where had she sprung up from? How had a flower like her blossomed in a place like this?

Eric and the other boys noticed my distracted demeanor immediately and all turned to look at who I was gawking at.

"Ooh no Bro! Not Isabella. Her Daddy is the local Police Chief. You **do not** want to mess with him," one of them said.

I nodded in agreement. I didn't want to mess with _him_ at all. Now, his daughter..._that_ was entirely different.

I wouldn't mind messing with her.

Her eyes lit up and her full, somewhat pouty lips opened a little as she held my stare and then she bestowed upon me the prettiest smile I had ever been lucky enough to receive.

_"God no, he's only just got here and he's a dead man,"_ Mike stated.

Reluctantly I turned my attention back to the boys.

_"She is so beautiful,"_ I sighed, meaning every word.

_"Beautiful **and** deadly, she's a ticket straight to juvie."_ Eric nodded.

_"I was merely thinking of developing a friendship with her."_ I replied and the boys seemed happier with that.

_"Sure, Bella is a great friend. Just be aware, none of us have ever even kissed her, and she is starting to feel left out. But really, who would go there? Chief Swan would gladly skin alive any boy who touches her, and use him as a floor rug in front of his fire. Bella is a no go zone."_

That seemed so unfair to her and not to mention, what a tragic waste because she was stunning. I looked up again and her eyes were still on me. The pixie sized girl beside her frowned, then followed her gaze. Once she saw me she slapped Bella's arm and the other girls at the table all laughed, looking my way. My eyes glanced around to the other girls. The one with the dark frizzy hair stood up and put her arms behind her back, forcing her breasts to stick out, putting them on show for everyone, and then she licked her lips and winked at me.

_"Fuck no,"_ Mike said and the other boys all stilled.

_"That's Jessica Stanley and she's taken. She and Mike are doing the horizontal tango."_ Eric informed me.

_"Oh, right, sure. I have no interest in her at all, Mike. Zero interest!" _ I assured him.

_"Yeah but the way she's looking at **you**...like you are something to eat."_ laughed Tyler, doing the quote marks in the air.

_"You know what they say, stick to what you are best at."_Eric sneered.

_"Fuck off, Eric and keep your comments to yourself."_ Mike bristled.

Mike looked thunderous and the Jessica girl suddenly realized she was caught. She hastily sat down, dropping her head onto her hands on the table in front of her. Mike stood, grabbed his bag and walked out, growling under his breath.

_"What's that about?"_ I asked, not really caring.

My brown eyed girl had turned away and was facing Jessica again and it felt like the sun had dipped behind a cloud.

_"Mike and Jess have a few issues," _Tyler replied.

_"Yeah, Jess has this habit of _sucking off _anyone that will let her. Mike wants her to stop it and be exclusively with him."_

I nodded, in understanding. That sounded fair enough.

I had never been 'sucked off' myself but that wasn't to say I didn't dream about it at night in my bed. The girl doing it had always been hazy and had no particular features other than big red lips. However, something felt that that may change now.

I frowned at my own crudity because the face at my dick was Jessica's and I realized that was only because I didn't want to soil Isabella Swan in that way. She was not the type of girl who would perform such a deed, I just knew.

_"So, tell me about Isabella,"_ I said quietly.

_"Not much to tell. Her Mom scandalized the town by running off with...wait for it...Phil Dwyer."_

_"Phil Dwyer the baseball player?"_ I asked in awe.

Fuck, I watched every game he's played in on TV with my foster father. It was Carlisle's way of bonding with me, I guess. We both love baseball and he's taken me to a ton of games since he and Esme had brought me into their home, when I was a frightened and neglected five year old. They are the only parents I've known, and they had no kids of their own, so by now I was pretty much _their_ son.

In fact, Carlisle had raised the issue of formally adopting me and I thought it was an okay idea. I never knew my biological father who gave me my surname so it would be great to have a name that came with an actual father figure.

Edward Cullen. I could proudly live with that.

_"Yeah, cool, right,"_ Tyler said, bringing me back to the conversation at the table, and the subject of Isabella.

_"Well I guess if your Mom has to run off with someone, then yeah, cool she chose him. How long ago did it happen?" _I asked. It can't be easy not having a Mom in the house at this age.

_"Bella was ten,"_ Eric answered.

_"So, before Phil Dwyer was famous. Has her father remarried?"_ I asked.

Tyler snorted.

_"The Chief was like, devastated, and he has never so much as glanced at another woman. He has all their wedding photos still up in the bedroom. Mrs. Swan was quite a looker."  
><em>_"She's a fucking hawt ass MILF," _Eric offered.

I wasn't interested in their hormonally charged chatter, I was thinking only of how Isabella's life must be now.

_"So, Edward, pity you didn't arrive last week, Mike had a fuck awesome party,"_ Tyler said.

_"Yeah?"_ I asked, giving up on those brown eyes. She hadn't glanced this way again, anyway.

_"Tyler cashed in **his** v card, so he will never forget it,"_ Eric laughed.  
><em>"Oh with skanky ho, Lauren. You want to avoid her, Edward. Girl probably has diseases by now. Did you use a rubber?" <em>Ben asked Tyler and the boy blushed.

_"Of course I did. Luckily she had some because the one in my wallet was kind of past it's 'use by' date. It had been there since my brother gave it to me when I turned twelve," _he admitted ruefully.

_"Which one's Lauren?"_ I asked then blushed at what that sounded like_."Shit, no, I'm not interested in that, I was just wondering if I have to avoid her, it might help knowing which girl she is," _ I hurriedly explained.

_"The blond on the end, chewing gum and twirling her hair around her finger." _said Tyler.

His voice revealed more than he realized. I didn't think he saw the girl like the others did. He sounded quite affectionate towards her and he smiled as she looked at him and tried to hide the little wave he tossed her way. She smiled at him and looked away then back, her eyes almost shy.

I was surprised that she was considered the skank because by body language alone, I would have picked Jessica as the holder of that title. She was looking at me again and deliberately slowly licking her lips and then she lifted a banana to her mouth and assaulted it as she ate it.  
>The message was loud and clear and I frowned and looked away. Of course I wanted to cash my v card, like every other boy my age, but not with her. May as well save up my allowance and go to a real hooker, at least she would know what she was doing. Then I snickered, maybe Jessica would be equally knowledgeable.<p>

Ben was shyly glancing over at a tall girl with long black hair and glasses and she was slightly smiling as she stole brief looks back.

_"Angela Webber, Ben's soul mate. He's so pussy whipped,"_ Tyler explained to me.

_"Nice, I mean, she looks nice,"_ I said to Ben.

_"She is and I believe pussy whipped is an expression saved for someone who is actually having sex, unlike myself." _he answered. _"We are waiting. No point jumping into bed with every girl you like at our ages. Angela wants us to have a meaningful relationship first."_

_"Sounds like a sensible girl,"_ I nodded.

_"So, what's your status?"_ Eric asked. _"Been there, done that, plenty of times, I'm guessing, with your looks."_

_"I don't kiss and tell,"_ I grinned at the waiting faces.

Not that there was anything to tell as yet. The girls in Boston had grown up with me, seeing me just as the chubby boy I had been, not the emerging youth so I was taken aback. The _'looks_' were a new thing. Last year I was too tall and gangly and still chubby faced, kind of girlie really. In fact, bus drivers and the like had actually mistaken me for a girl at times until I grew like a foot in height overnight. It was only recently that the jaw line had emerged from beneath the puppy fat and the beginning of my first baby soft bristles had grown on my chin. Esme, Mom, had always assured me I was going to be good looking but really, I was still work in progress. I was hoping to develop more masculine features and if God would please allow my hair to be tamed, even with product, that would be awesome. It was still fine and soft like a baby's and flopped about down over my forehead unless I kept it cut really short.

However it was my best feature, in my own opinion. The color was apparently oddly different to anyone else's and I liked the uniqueness that afforded me. Then add my green eyes. Girls of all ages had always liked my green eyes. They were not the usual washed out green like most people had, and no hazel flecks or anything, just pure emerald green.

_"But you do kiss,"_ Eric stated, so sure he was right.

He wasn't but whatever. I smiled and shrugged my shoulders. It never hurt to let boys think you were a man of the world and had your secrets.

Not able to keep my eyes off of her I noticed Isabella was looking at me again and I smiled openly at her. I figure what the heck, she was so pretty and I had no intention of sullying her or her reputation, I just wanted to meet her and talk to her and become her friend. I was in no rush to prove my manhood, in fact, the whole idea of having to do 'it' was kind of scary and there was plenty of time, no need to rush things. I was fifteen, I didn't think that made me old for a virgin. So long as some pretty lady allowed me that privilege sometime before High School was over, I would be a happy man.

The bell rang and we walked to our next class as a group, the boys behind the girls and I mentally linked who liked who together again.

Mike and Jessica, Ben and Angela, Tyler and Lauren. Eric and I were apparently the spare wheels but then a pretty golden haired blond walked up from the opposite direction and I felt the change in the air.

_"Chelsea,"_ he said quietly, knocking his bag against my arm. "_Do me a favor and don't pursue her. I mean, obviously you could have any girl you wanted, but she's special to me."_

_"Good to know. She's pretty."_ I admitted. She tossed me a glance and smiled but her eyes flicked straight to Eric again.

_"Say hi,"_ I whispered.

_"Um hi, Chelsea. This is Edward, he's new, yeah, I guess you know he's new seeing we rarely get new students and he's so good looking you would have noticed him and.."_

_"Shut up, I said say hi, don't ramble,"_ I whispered under my breath.

_"Hi Edward. Welcome to Rathole-End of the Earth- Washington."_

_"Thanks,"_ I said, _"Nice to meet you." _I finished. Then I walked to the teacher at the front of the class and handed over my note of introduction from the office.

_"Ah yes, Mr. Masen, hmm. Good marks. I trust you will be keeping them up.?"_ he asked, looking over his black rimmed glasses.

_"Yes Sir,"_ I replied. High scores would be my ticket out of this town to somewhere a little more sophisticated. NYU was my goal.

_"So, here's your book, and we have a seat..." _he looked around the room.

There seemed to be two vacancies, one at the front table where Eric and Tyler sat and one at the very back table where Isabella and the small hyper brunette were sitting side by side, chatting.

_"Miss Brandon, I think we may move you down to the front and Mr. Masen can sit with Miss Swan at the back. Maybe we will all get some peace,"_ he suggested.

The girl looked up, scowled at me then went about picking up her books reluctantly. As I passed her walking up the aisle she threw me a smile and a wink, but not in a flirtatious way, more of a _"I know you are happy with this new seating arrangement'_ look. I sat down in the chair she had vacated and those deep pools of velvet looked over at me. Time sort of stood still for a moment.

_"Hi, I'm Bella,"_ she said and I shook myself. She smelled amazing.

_"Um, Edward...Masen,"_ I replied, once I could remember my surname.

She smiled and slid the microscope over to me as Mr. Banner started lecturing us about God knows what because I never heard a word. Bella opened her book and was busy taking notes but she glanced my way now and then, and even blushed when I caught her checking me out, from head to toe.

_"Your eyes,"_ she stuttered, feeling the need to explain. _"You have amazing green eyes."_

_"I was born with them,"_ I answered, smiling back. _"You have amazing brown eyes yourself."_  
>She blushed and looked up at me through her long thick eyelashes and I had a sudden urge to lean over and kiss her. I actually had started to move toward her before reality hit and I jerked back and faced the front, embarrassed. I wanted to kiss her but not here. Not yet.<p>

She blushed, reading my intention and we sat there in a fog of tension for the rest of class. I was glad when it was over. When the bell rang I grabbed my bag and accidentally brushed against her as I passed her seat. We both hissed at the same time, from the contact.

_"Static, sorry,"_ I mumbled and raced for fresh calming air, rubbing at the spot on my arm where she had zapped me.

_"What's up, Bro?"_ Mike asked, standing beside me, playing with a packet of cigarettes and sighing as he returned them to his bag.

_"I just got shocked, static,"_ I explained, worrying I sounded like some pussy.

_"Not possible," _he waved off,_ "Our uniforms are all natural fibers and the chairs are wooden,"_ he smirked.

_"Oh really?"_ I frowned. Well, I had felt something powerful and almost electric.

Next class was Gym and I have to admit, I would pay to buy a ticket to see that again. Bella may look like an angel but on the volleyball court she seemed so uncoordinated it was like watching a comedy routine. She stood back until the coach urged her towards the volleyball then everyone within a ten foot radius stood well away from her and the players near the net cringed. Mike put his arm over his head and looked like he was awaiting execution. Bella hit the ball as he turned to protect his face and the ball smacked into the back of his head. Bella blushed a becoming shade of pink, and bit her lower lip. The coach sat down beside me on the bleachers and cringed.

_"Yeah, maybe I should insist on helmets for them all,"_ he said, shaking his head.

Bella drifted to the back corner and the others continued playing. Mike covered her spot as well as his own position. It looked like a well practiced dance, like they always did this.

The coach sighed. _"Health and Safety … they would just lock her in the change rooms,"_ he then turned to me. _"So Masen, what's your game?"_

_"Baseball,"_ I answered.

_"What's your strength, pitcher or hitter?" He asked._

_"Hitter, Sir." I replied_

_"You any good?" _he looked intrigued.

_"I am," _I boasted. _"Best Player every season. I'm playing two years above my age."_

_"Thank you God,"_ The coach said, holding his hands up in a prayer.

_"Come out here to the cage__, I want to see what you can do. Newton, you are in charge."_

Bella looked relieved and Mike waved her off the court. I quickly looked as she gladly sat down on the bottom row and tied her shoelace. I had a feeling she wouldn't be back on court until Coach and I returned. As we passed her, my shin slightly brushed her side and there it was again, that shock, that spark. She huffed and looked up at me and I reached down to rub my leg. Her eyebrows were drawn together and she shrugged.

Coach put me through my paces and was getting more and more excited as I slugged the baseball harder each hit.

_"Fuck me, thank you Heavenly Father, you do exist after all," _he cried out. _"Masen, you might just manage to carry this bunch of mediocre-wanna-be's I have to call my team. I want you out here practicing every gym class. I'll send our best pitchers out next lesson. I want to see how you do against them. Keep your Saturdays free, you are on the team, boy."_

I smiled and nodded, shaking the hand he offered. Baseball was what made me happy, and kept me sane some days.  
>I weighed the bat in my hand <em>"My father has my bats special ordered, and replaced every six months, I'll bring a couple along."<em> I promised.

Carlisle believed if I was playing like a professional, I needed professional equipment.

_"I love your father already."_ The coach grinned, and put an arm around my shoulders.

The others were all gone already so I showered, changed, and went to the parking lot where my driving instructor waited in his dual control car. Yes, Carlisle again. He wasn't depending on Driver's Ed to teach me to be a safe driver. I took the wheel, started the car, drove out of the lot.

Early next morning I was up and dressed for my run. I preferred running before dawn, it made me energized for the whole day. Carlisle had shown me the tracks that avoided the forest and just surrounded the town itself and I was sure I could get in a lap or two in time to be back for breakfast. I went out through the sliding door in my bedroom, and jogged down the outside stairs. The rain was misty, hardly there, and I got into a rhythm. I was surprised to see an already familiar girl running ahead of me as I hit the town outskirts. So, Bella ran. With my stride I could have sped up and passed her but I liked the view from where I was so I closed in and kept maybe ten feet between us, running at her pace. She turned, catching me, and looked annoyed, then she smiled when she recognized me.

_"Hey, Masen,"_ she said, no sign of huffing. I reluctantly ran to her side, I would miss the sight of those tight little buns.

_"Swan. So you run."_

_"Every morning and evening,"_ she replied. _"I hear the Coach is in love with you."_

_"Yeah, we have this bro-mance,"_ I replied.

_"You'd have to be really good to give that man hope. The team has...yet to show its promise,"_ she stated.

_"Well, I can hold up my part,"_ I answered.

_"I bet you can,"_ she said and continued in silence.

We did two laps and part of a third when she suddenly headed across the road and waved.

_"This is me, see you at school."_

I glanced at the white clapboard house with the police cruiser in the driveway, and she turned to wave, again, as she went inside the front door.

_"How was your run?"_ Esme asked.

Despite only arriving three days earlier, the house was in perfect array, everything in its place already.

_"Great, good. Awesome."_ I replied excitedly, and grabbed a stack of pancakes, then poured myself an orange juice.

Esme smiled. _"You making friends already?"_ she asked.

_"Yep, I like the kids here actually,"_ I grinned, and she rubbed her hand in my hair affectionately.

_"Edward, how would you feel about having a brother?"_ she asked, out of the blue, while sitting down opposite me at the table.

_"Are you...?"_ I waved a hand at her flat stomach.

_"Huh? Oh no. Carlisle just heard about a boy that needs a home, he's your age and we just wondered if it was something you were interested in. You have been an only child all this time and we all like the current dynamic, but we did wonder if you would be open to a sibling at this point?"_

I considered it._ "Could be fun Mom. I'll agree to whatever you decide."_

_"Thank you, sweetie. It's just a thought, we don't know if we would get him if we did apply."_

_"Of course you would. You two are awesome parents."_

She smiled and I left to shower and dress for school which was suddenly very appealing.

My driving instructor grinned. _"You look like happy man, Edward."_

_"Despite the crappy weather, I think I'm growing to like Forks very much, already,"_ I grinned.

We drove down the street Isabella lived on and I saw the little hyper girl's mother, presumably, sitting in a car out the front and the two girls were running down the driveway in the rain. Bella looked up and graced me with a smile and my instructor smirked at me.

_"Dangerous waters, Edward. You know who her Daddy is, right?"_

_"I do,"_ I nodded. _"Jeez, I just want to be her friend, not drag her upstairs and deflower her."__  
><em>


	3. Chapter 3

**Thanks Macfaerie as always !**

The Bro Code

Chapter 3

EPOV

The school was having a dance at the end of my first week and naturally most all the students already had a date. I wasn't unsure whether I wanted to go alone, or just to be a third wheel with one of the guys.

I was in study hall when I heard a group of girls discussing the decorations and complaining about how being on the committee meant they would have responsibilities to perform on that night, when they would rather be sneaking outside to kiss their various boyfriends.

One girl made a suggested that made my ears perk up, _"Let's get Bella to collect the tickets, half of these idiots will not arrive until the dance has been in progress for an hour or more, and it's not like she has a date."_

_She didn't have a date?_

The moment the bell rang, I was out of there, fast as lightning. Running to Biology, Bella was already at our table, so I wasted no time.

_"Bella, would you be willing to help out a newcomer and come to the dance with me this Friday?"_ I asked.

She looked shocked, like she had never been asked out before. Mike had said the boys here avoided dating her, but there were other boys in Forks who didn't attend _this_ school, surely she must have dated some of them?

_"I...I don't really dance,"_ she stuttered.

_"Really?" I asked._

She blushed and dropped her eyes to the table, playing nervously with her notebook.

_"I'm kind of clumsy, Edward."_ she informed me. I wanted to laugh aloud, I _had_ seen her on the volleyball court after all.

_"Well, I'm **not**, and I find it's all in the lead. All you need is a boy able to guide your feet and you will be fine."_ I promised.

She still looked unsure. I decided to make her see how much I wanted to go with her.

_"I think we could make quite a couple." _I added confidently.

_"Sure, okay. They're your toes at risk."_ she said, while showing me her beautiful smile.

_"My toes and I shall be looking forward to it. Can pick you up around six?"_ I hazarded.

The dance started at seven, but with her being on the committee she would have things to do first. And of course I would help her with whatever they were.

_"I uh, usually get stuck collecting the tickets, it can be boring and eat into the night. Sometimes the stragglers don't arrive until two hours after the doors open."_

_"That's just rude. Why not specify everyone has to be indoors by, say, eight and if they arrive later, tough luck. Having you wait for two hours, and not getting to enjoy the dance yourself, that's not acceptable." _I had told her.

_"You have a point,"_ she replied. _"I usually don't mind, I'm not exactly asked out on dates to these things, with my Dad being who he is. You do know who he is?"_ she asked nervously, as if I would rescind the invitation if I found out.

_"Police Chief Charlie Swan, right?"_ I replied in a voice that implied it was no big deal to me.

_"And you don't mind?"_

_"Bella, I'm just asking you to be my date, we aren't eloping. He will have no reason to chase me and threaten me with his gun."_

_"Yeah, that's the thing. I know he can look scary, but I never got why other boys feared him if their intentions were honorable anyway. Dad would never give a guy a hard time if he was respectful and trustworthy. If he's just out to get me into his bed, that's a different story. Like the driver's that whine about the red light camera. Don't speed and you won't get caught. Don't try anything shifty with me and I can be a perfectly normal date."_

_"I have nothing shifty in mind, I promise."_ I gave her my word.

_"Well, I'd better go and write the new rule on the posters. 'No admittances after 8pm'. I get excused from class while working for the dance committee. Good idea, by the way."_ she explained.

_"Why not wait until next lesson. It's _**gym**___."_

_"Oh definitely, I would love to avoid gym."_ she agreed, putting her books back down on the table.

X~X

The Coach had me practicing outside, as usual, while the rest of the class did whatever was on the agenda for today's gym class. I faced the three pitchers in turn. He knew better than to overuse any of them, shoulder injuries can end the career of a good pitcher.

We'd almost finished when I noticed we had an audience, of one. Bella was sitting on the bleachers, watching intently. I threw her a wave and went back to concentrating on the task at hand.

When we were done, I walked up to where she sat.

_"Well, what do you think?"_ I asked.

_"I think you may save the whole season, hitting like that. No wonder the Coach wants to marry you."_

_"He just wants me to devote every waking moment to practicing." _I replied._ "But I think there's more to life, like dances."_

_"Don't let him hear you say sacrilege like that, it will break his heart,"_ she laughed.

_"Balance, Bella. It's got to be all about balance. Even if I am ever good enough to make a career with this, I don't ever want to lose sight of what's really important."_

_"What's that?"_ she asked.

_"People, relationships, life, loved ones, the sport will never be, the be all and end all for me. I want a family and a home, a happy wife to come home to at the end of the game. You know what they say, happy wife, happy life."_

_"How old are you again? I didn't think men worked that out until they were like forty and had lost their wife and family already," s_he questioned me, kind of shocked.

I laughed.

_"Carlisle has always made time for Esme and me, and we have never felt his job is more important to him than we are. Sure, sometimes he gets caught up in emergencies and misses a birthday party or whatever, but we know when it happens, that he **had** to miss it, he didn't just forget. And he has always made it up to us as soon as he could."_

_"That's cool, different, but cool."_

_"How is that different?" I had to ask._

_"Well, in my experience, my mom decided she was done with us and just left. So I can't say she ever put us, her family, ahead of her own desires. Charlie works every shift he is offered. He says it's to save up for my college fund, but he misses every birthday, every Christmas Day, I can't remember the last time any 'special' date was actually treated as special in our house."_

_"That's sad,"_ I said, touching her hand. I couldn't imagine having nobody care it was my birthday and not making it an occasion for me._ "I guess you have good parties, then, with no adult supervision,"_ I suggested, fishing for something positive.

_"Ha!"_ she snorted. _"I've never actually had a birthday party. In living memory, that is. I have seen photos of my first birthday. There's evidence I did have a party for it."_

_"So, when is your birthday?"_ I asked, trying to look like it wasn't going to be a date I engraved in my brain.

_"September 13th,"_ she said with a sigh.

_"That's not for five months yet."_ I said.

_"Exactly one hundred twenty five days from today but who's counting."_

Well I am, now.

X~X

The dance was great. My driving instructor happily agreed to an extra lesson. We picked Bella up at six o'clock on the dot, and drove to the school. I looked forward to the day I could drive on my own. I couldn't wait to get behind the wheel of the car Carlisle had already for bought me. It wasn't very flashy, he chose safety first, but my trustworthy Volvo would be my first car, shiny and silver. It waited inside the garage for the day I could drive it myself.

As predicted Bella was to man the ticket table at the front door, I proudly took my seat beside her, and watched as she collected tickets, welcoming the students when they arrived. On the exact stroke of eight, I walked over and locked the door. Then happily turned around, grabbed her hand, and pulled her over onto main dance floor and we shared our first dance.

Okay, maybe she was a _little_ hazardous around other dancers, but once the music changed to a slow dance and I pulled her into my arms, things got better. Just feeling her small frame inside my larger one made me feel protective of her.

I knew from the moment she accepted coming with me as my date that I wanted this night to end with a kiss. So, while we were busily tidying up after everyone left, Bella asked me to put away the couple of small collapsible tables we had used, into the storage cupboard under the stairs. This was my moment.

_"I'm not sure I could find it on my own,"_ I replied, frowning.

_"Edward, it's right there,"_ she said, pointing.

I knew what I was doing. I had already checked out this entire hall earlier and decided this was the best place for a few minutes of privacy, away from the prying eyes of the other committee members.

_"Come show me the way,"_ I pleaded.

She shook her head and walked across the room, opening the door wide for me. I placed the tables inside and turned to grab her arm before she left.

_"Hey, I think there's a problem here,"_ I said quietly.

_"What? What's the problem?"_ she asked, puzzled.

I walked past her and pulled the door shut, with us both still inside.

_"The problem is, this is the first date I've ever been on and I haven't gotten my first kiss yet,"_ I said softly.

She bit her lower lip and I pulled her in closer, placing a hand on the small of her back and the other under her chin.

_"I, uh, I haven't ever..."_ she stuttered in a whispered breath.

_"Neither have I, but trust me, it's just like dancing. It's all in the leading,"_ I promised her, and moved my lips closer to hers. She closed her eyes and I took her tortured lower lip into my own mouth and massaged it with my tongue.

She allowed that, so I pulled away and came back square on, both my lips on both of hers. She opened her mouth and let me push the tip of my tongue inside, where she met mine with hers.

I didn't try to get in deep. I just wanted to feel what it felt like to kiss a girl in a slightly non-chaste way. I know I should be starting at a basic kiss but something told me my time with Bella was limited. She was so attractive, maybe the other boys would be fighting for her now that they saw she was actually a fun date, and her father didn't shoot on sight.

One of the other girls tapped on the door.

_"Sorry, we are locking up and I thought I saw you two disappear into here. I don't want to lock you in and have the Chief form a posse or anything."_

Bella and I walked outside, hand in hand, and Carlisle was waiting in the parking lot to drive us home. I was so looking forward to being able to drive that Volvo, suddenly I just wanted time to go faster so I could get licensed. I opened the back door and we slipped in together. I held her hand the whole way home and walked her to her door.

_"Thanks for coming out with me tonight, Bella. I really enjoyed my first date."_

_"As in, your first date here in Forks?"_ she asked.

_"Actually, as in ... my first date ever."_

_"Oh, um, mine too. I enjoyed it too,"_ she replied.

_"Goodnight, Bella. Sweet dreams,"_ I said, leaning in to peck her on the lips, knowing both fathers were watching.

_"Goodnight, Edward."_

I slept well that night. My dreams no longer featured movie stars and pop singers. Bella Swan was now the star of my slumber from that night forward.

Bella and I spent a lot of time together, between our running in the mornings and evenings, our sitting together at school, in and out of class and our slow walks home, hand in hand, both our bags slung over my shoulder.

Alice pouted about the amount of time I was robbing Bella from her, but she accepted that her friend deserved to have the experience of a boyfriend, like the rest of the girls here. She didn't grumble a lot.

I told Esme how Bella had never had a birthday party and she insisted we hold one for her on her next birthday in September. It was to be a surprise party and Alice was in on the secret. Then one day at school Alice came rushing up to me, her eyes flaring with excitement.

"What Alice?" I asked even before she could tell me.

"You need to move Bella's party up. Don't wait for her birthday," she rapidly spilled out.

"Why do I need to do that?" I asked her dumbly

"Because you just need too, don't ask me anymore than that. I have a feeling, and everyone knows you don't mess with an 'Alice' feeling."

I didn't really need Alice to tell me why. I didn't really need any reason other than it was for Bella. With both of us concluding while even Alice didn't actually know why it had to be done, it seemed reasonable and we rearranged everything. Never mess with Alice's psychic glimpses into the future.

Alice invited Bella for a sleepover the night of the party. Then after school, she suggested they get dressed up for fun and she worked her beauty magic on them both. My Mom _coincidentally_ dropped in over at Alice's house, and invited them both to have dinner with us. Even then, Bella never suspected a thing. I was sure she knew that Esme had never invited Alice or any other girl to dinner, at our house, before.

Everyone arrived on schedule and we were all waiting, hiding behind pieces of furniture and around corners. When Esme brought the girls in the front door, we all jumped out and nearly frightened Bella to death.

_"What! What's happening?"_ she gasped.

I walked to her, and put my arm around her waist. _"Happy Un-birthday Bella!"_

_"Edward, this is crazy,"_ she said, her mouth lighting up in a wonderful smile.

_"Hey, you said you've never had a birthday party so we decided you needed a un-birthday party to make up for it,"_ I explained.

_"Edward, it's no where n__ear my birthday. Why didn't you wait?"_ she smiled at me.

I wonder how different our lives could have been if only we had waited, for this party and other things.

At first Bella seemed a little overwhelmed with all the attention, but she handled it like a pro. She loved the gifts and the cake. My parents took themselves to bed early, and left us 'young ones' to dance and play music in the basement.

I danced to every song with Bella, and after a while I pulled her down beside me on the sofa. I had wanted to kiss her again, since night of school dance, but it never seemed to be the right time. Tonight I was making time.

After everyone else had left, I walked the girls home, to Alice's house, one girl on each arm. Alice snuck me inside and left Bella and I alone in her guestroom while she went into her own bedroom. I knew Esme would be watching the clock and expected me back home, in an hour or so, but I laid down beside Bella on the bed and took advantage of my chance to kiss her again.

She ran her fingers through my hair and told me I had the most awesome hair she had ever seen.

_"So, did you like your party?"_ I asked her.

_"It was amazing. Thanks so much."_

_"I'll drop your loot off at your house tomorrow during my driving lesson."_ I promised.

_"You are a great boyfriend,"_ she said, and then she blushed.

_"What?"_ I asked.

_"Well, we never... I know you haven't even asked..."_

_"Bella, will you be my first girlfriend?"_ I asked officially, smiling, since she knew that she was already.

_"Yes, I would love to." _She giggled.

_"Hey, we need to seal that with a kiss, come here,"_ I said pulling her to me, again.

We spent a while longer just kissing then she took my hand and placed it on her breast and I felt my pants get tight.

_"Bellaaa,"_ I moaned.

She looked me in the eye, then lifted her top and flung it off onto the bed. I tried to keep my eyes on hers, but that little purple bra called to me and I spared it a glance. My hands had a mind of their own, and began to tenderly touch her over the lace. I felt her nipple harden under my fingertips.

She smiled and shifted us so she was lying beneath me. I kissed her again, leaning in so our bodies touched, and felt my erection line up with her center, as it rubbed across the zipper of her jeans. She must have liked it, because she ground herself against me. I bit down on my lip to keep from moaning. I hoped she had no idea that did to me. I had just embarrassed myself in my jeans.

I excused myself to use the adjoining bathroom and when I got back, she was in her guest bed, completely covered and she beckoned me down for a kiss goodnight.

_"Goodnight, sleep tight."_ I said.

_"Do you want to look?"_ she coyly asked.

I frowned, not knowing if I could handle what would be, or would not be, under those covers.

_"I'm naked under here."_ she whispered and my pants were tight again, tight and still sticky. I lifted the sheet off her and took a quick look, from top to bottom. Then I put the covers back down and looked back up to her beautiful face.

_"Perfect, you are perfect."_ I murmured. _"I wish I didn't have to leave."_

_"Just touch me for a second."_ she invited and I couldn't decline.

Climbing onto the bed beside her, under the covers, there were so many places I wanted to touch her. I settled for just tracing my hands down her sides, then across her breasts, stopping when I felt her nipples rise.

She closed her eyes and let her legs fall open. Welcoming the invitation, I began to stroke her _there_, it would have been impolite not to.

Her entrance was soft and warm … and amazingly wet. I pushed a single finger inside of her soft folds, then pulled it out again. She laid her hand over mine and then she pushed my hand against her.

I was out of my depth here, all I had to go on was what I'd overheard or read. So I moved my hand and found that spot girls supposedly feel the most … whatever they feel. I put my palm against it as I pulled and pushed my finger in her again.

She hummed quietly and I relaxed against her. I kissed her again as I quickened my movements, and she rubbed her body against me. Bella's breathing picked up, and she let small whimpers escape her beautiful lips while still keeping a hold of mine. She pushed my hand against her harder, and I moved my finger faster to help her along. Suddenly she stopped and I started to freak thinking I did something wrong … but then my finger became wetter. I quickly realized what I had just done, what we had just done. I still may have freaked out a little.

_"I have to go,"_ I moaned. The last thing I needed was Esme turning up.

Reluctantly I took my hand back, tucking it into my pocket. Then I covered her with the sheet and blankets and kissed her quickly.

It had been the best night of my life bar none, and I had to refrain from skipping as I started my walk home in the dark.

Soon a car came down the road toward me. It turned and pulled up beside me. Carlisle opened the passenger door. I slid inside. I was suddenly glad I left when I did.

_"Edward, we need to have a little chat,"_ he said and I cringed.

X~X

Despite my dad's repeated lecture about sex, and him handing me a stack of free condoms from the hospital clinic, I couldn't seem to get the smile off my face. I was still buzzed from my first encounter of the 'sexual' kind, and I laid in bed and pleasured myself to the aroma of Bella still on my fingers. I replayed all we had done and then added a few more scenes of what I wanted to do. While I envisioned pushing my hardness inside her, and the warm wet feeling like it was on my finger, my body exploded between the sheets.

I was up bright and early the next morning. I wanted to get my clothes from the night before, and my sheets, washing before I left for my run. My mother was pleased that I was now helping out with the housework! What she didn't know wouldn't hurt her.

_X~X_

Sadly Bella and I managed only a few more stolen hours, in her bed, over that last week before she was sent away. Had we known I'm sure we would have done things differently, I for certain, would have done things differently.

Then came the final day.

We had found if I rubbed her in a certain spot, she could reach an orgasm rather quickly, and she loved that, so I was hardly going to deprive her of the same pleasure I gave myself nightly.

She had returned the favor and I was teaching her how to get me off, my hand over hers, stroking my erection together until I came in front of her. She had no shame letting me watch her come so I decided I wouldn't either and she was already asking me to go that final step and relieve her of her virginity.

There were a thousand reasons not to do it, but tell that to someone whose brain is not bathed in hormones. We both wanted it to happen, so when Bella confirmed on the chart in the kitchen that Charlie had an all-nighter, we just let it happen.

I had my condoms, she had her dark colored towel to protect her sheets and we both had the necessary willing parts.

We kissed and touched and explored one another for an hour or more, then she started stroking me and I pulled on a condom. We both caught one another's eye and laughed. We were really doing this. It was kind of innocent and clumsy and neither of us had a clue what we were doing.

I knew the text book mechanics by heart. I was gentle, and she held onto me when I made the final thrust into her. She felt so good around me, and I started pushing in and out and each time I went in deeper and she kept her legs open wide and I guess I kind of got a lot more out of it than she did, because I was streaming inside that condom in no time and when I withdrew, she bled and I held her tight and kept the towel between her thighs until we got under the shower. I washed her clean, and I patted her dry. Then I helped her into clean underwear and her sweats. I put my boxers and jeans back on, and laid down in her bed. Bella was a little tearful but assured me it was fine and we would do it again another day, she also assured me we'd get better at it.

_"I dunno,"_ I said, stroking her face with my fingers and her breast with my other hand.

_"You didn't like it?'_ she asked.

_"Shit, Bella, I loved it. I know it wasn't good for you but for me, that was amazing."_

_"Then why?"_

_"I think we are too young to be doing this. It feels kind of irresponsible and just … too much. I would prefer we waited and just touched one another. I can get you off with my fingers and you can get me off by just by looking at me."_ I laughed. _"I want us to wait. I think if we date and wait to go all the way again until we **really** want to, it will be better. It's something we can look forward to doing when we are, say, eighteen. I would be comfortable with that."_

_"You want to wait that long?" _she asked in awe.

_"I want to feel like an adult before I do adult things. It may seem crazy but I feel like a kid trying to act like adult, and I don't really know what I'm doing. To me, having sex should be special. We're kids, we're 15 years old. We aren't some devoted committed couple who have dated and grown together and fallen in love and got to the point where we could be a forever couple. To me, that's when you have sex, not before. It's like eating dessert before the meal. We have only nibbled on the appetizer Bella. Think how much more amazing it will be if we stay together and grow together and get to the point where making love is just the next natural step._ _And think about this. What if we don't stay together? You're 15, say we last one year then we move on, and each relationship either of us have only lasts a year, we could have ten lovers by the time we're 25. Do you really want that? I'm not saying there's anything wrong with it, I'm just saying it's not a decision you make at 15. I want to wait and be really ready. Hey, we cashed our cards, now we have nothing to prove."_

_"Okay,"_ she said hesitantly. _"You won't leave me?"_ I hated the questioning sadness in her voice.

_"Never,"_ I growled. _"I'm not with you for sex, baby, I want to know you and enjoy your company and make you happy. I want to take you to the movies in my car and to dinner and to dances and sit with you at school."_

_"And no sex." _She stated.

_"Well, I will want to kiss **these** beauties,"_ I admitted, and kissed her breasts.

The moment I pulled back was the moment everything changed, the bedroom door flew open, and we both looked up shocked.

When Charlie ordered me to get dressed and leave his house, I looked at Bella.

_'Go'_ she mouthed.

I fully intended to stay if she wanted, but I could see she had decided it was better she handle him alone. So I grabbed at the t-shirt off her bed and left.

Walking home, I considered what my next move should be. Maybe I'd have to lay low out of Charlie's sight for a week or so. However, Bella knew him best … I would follow whatever she suggested.

Clearly I needed to accept responsibility for my part, but maybe not admit to anything more than he had actually witnessed, for both our sakes. I was sure Bella didn't want everybody to know, and it was between the two of us after all. I needed to talk to her and I resolved to go back to her house the next day. That way we could plan what to do next. I had a feeling she would be grounded, maybe for months, but I would see her at school.

Mom looked up in surprise when I walked in.

_"I thought you were sleeping over at Eric's?"_

I don't know why, but I had always turned to my Mom first, before my father, and I desperately wanted to tell her everything. I needed to tell her how we had decided this was not what we intended repeating for years yet, but we did wanted to be together and to date once her grounding was over.

_"Mom, I lied about that. Can we talk?"_

Esme sat beside me on the sofa and listened and never made me feel like a naughty child. I didn't use Bella's name, but I was sure she knew anyway, seeing Bella was the only girl I had ever showed an interest in.

_"I fucked up, didn't I, Mom? I didn't want to ever hurt her but now her dad will be watching her like a hawk and making her life even harder. I wish I could take it back."_

_"Really, Edward?"_

I blushed.

_"It was awesome, Mom, it felt amazing but it also felt way too adult for us to be doing. I don't regret it totally, but yeah, I guess if it were possible, I would take it back and go back to just touching her and wait until we were really ready."_

_"So you learned a valuable lesson today. I'm sure you and Bella will work things out. I'm proud of you, Edward. We all make mistakes but learning from them is the whole point."_ Esme said proudly.

_"I really like and respect her, Mom. I realize now it wasn't in her best interests, what we did, and I should have waited but I promise we will not do that again until she is eighteen."_

Ha, yeah, I should be so lucky.

When Dad came home and called me to his study, I knew he knew. Somehow, he knew.

I listened to his lecture and explained everything to him and promised I had learned from this.

_"You are very lucky that she didn't tell her father. Or that he didn't catch you. I won't say any more, Edward. You are an intelligent boy and I know you won't do anything to hurt this girl again, or to risk her future or yours. You did use a condom?"_

_"Yes, we did."_

_"And you do genuinely intend waiting?"_

_"We do."_

_"Then I guess we can let it go, and you will prove to me by your behavior from here on, that I can trust you. She's very loyal, Edward. I can assure you, she will never tell anyone. She had me convinced all you did was look."_

_"I know what you mean. She's innocent and I want to keep her that way."_

_"She is a lovely girl, with a father who has no clue how to raise her at this moment. Be patient and accept whatever restrictions he puts on you two being together. You know you can bring her here and visit with Esme as your chaperon, that might be a plan?"_

I agreed. If Charlie wanted us supervised, we would do that. It was probably safer anyway, the way her body sang to mine. It would definitely keep us out of mischief.

The next morning she didn't run, but I guessed maybe Charlie knew she ran with me so I wasn't completely surprised.

All weekend I tried to wait and be patient. After talking with Esme and Carlisle I figured going back to her house the next day wouldn't be the best idea, so I waited for school on Monday. I went to visit Alice to see if she knew anything and she was suspicious about what happened, but I told her she should ask Bella.

I did send a single text, afraid to get her into more trouble, and got no reply.

Monday she wasn't at school and I started to panic.

Alice went to the office and came back dead white.

_"What? What's happened to her?"_ I yelled.

_"He's transferred her. He sent her to live with her Mom. Edward, we aren't going to ever see her again."_

I was sure Alice was over reacting and mixed up, he wouldn't send her away across the other side of the country for revealing her breasts, surely? But if he knew it had been more, a worse crime, why hadn't he come and pounded the door down and shot me?

The week dragged and finally Alice got a reply to her emails.

It was true, Bella was gone, and not coming back.

I asked for Bella's email address and she refused.

_"Every single email is monitored. She is only allowed to talk to me and that only one email per month. Renee doesn't believe Bella at all. She's judging her by her own behavior at fifteen. Just because she slept around, she thinks Bella was having sex too. Oh, Edward it's so unfair."_

I agreed but was still in a state of disbelief. I had lost her, and it was all my own fault.

School was horrible without those deep brown eyes seeking mine, and Alice passed on every email Bella sent but gradually she lost touch and by the time we all graduated and went to college, it was just a part of the patchwork of my past.

I found out as soon as I got my license that Charlie did in fact know it had been me that day. Every single time he caught me driving through town, and we only had one road out of this rathole, he pulled me over and did a complete check of every inch of my tires, and asked for my license and papers, and generally tried to make my life uncomfortable but I had cost him the company of his daughter and every year at Christmas, he made a point of telling me where she was going instead of coming here to see him.

I didn't even date until I left town and attended NYU. To me, Forks was Bella country and I would never disrespect her by dating other girls in her town.


	4. Chapter 4

**Thank you Macfaerie for unmessing my mess.**

The Bro Code

Chapter 4

BPOV

Mike Newton seemed determined to keep me at his side. He demanded all my attention, and in truth, I just wanted to talk to the other staff members, particularly Edward Masen/Cullen. I assume Carlisle and Mrs. Cullen had adopted him. I'd gone ten years with little news of him now suddenly all I wanted was to hear what had happened in his life, and in particular, where he was now.

I wasn't foolish enough to imagine a man with his looks was on the market, but if you don't ask, you won't know.

I was surprised Mike had made it to the position of Principal already. He seemed young for the role. He was yapping in my ear about how amazingly his career had progressed and maybe even how he managed to obtain his position at such a young age. I didn't care enough to actually listen.

My mind was full of Edward. My heart felt lighter, and beat more quickly just from the few words we had exchanged.

The meeting broke up and the other teachers headed off in various directions. I waited as Mike spoke to a man, clearly a parent, who had some issues with his son that he wanted to discuss before classes began the next day.

"Miss Swan," a velvety voice said close to my ear, making my entire body shiver. "May I show you where you classroom is? I can see Mr. Newton is tied up, and knowing the man he is talking to it will be quite a while before he is free to concentrate on you again. Even though I'm sure that's what he wants to be doing right now."

Mike was watching the exchange between Edward and me. He started to look panicked. Too bad the man with him was getting hot under the collar, insisting Mike needed to 'fix' things for his wayward son or 'heads would roll'.

"I'm not sure if Mike is done with me yet," I murmured in reply.

"I'm quite sure he isn't," Edward answered.

His voice was captivating and while he was standing so close to me, he was keeping a gap of maybe six inches between our bodies. Strangely, I wanted to step in and remove that gap. It was weird, and inappropriate. I really didn't even know _this_ Edward. He has changed from that boy of so long ago.

Mike held up a hand, and excused himself from the man for a minute. He walked back to where I was standing.

"I'm sorry, Bella, I have something I need to attend to urgently. Edward, I'm sure I can trust you to take our new teacher on a quick tour and show her the classrooms she will be using."

"It will be my pleasure," Edward assured him. Mike frowned and motioned Edward aside and the two exchanged a few quick words then Mike told me he would catch me up later.

"What was that about?" I asked Edward as he led me down the long hallway.

"Mike was just reminding me he saw you first and to keep my hands off," Edward smirked.

"Oh, it really is High School all over again," I sighed.

"Not really, in High School I was the lucky one who got to share your company for one glorious month, and Mike was the one who got to bitch about it for the next three years, and then some," he stated.

"I thought he and Jessica were together, at least they were freshman year."

"Well Mike might have been with Jessica, but he lusted after _you_. They all did. I was just the only one brave enough to ask you out," he said with an air of confidence.

"That's just crazy," I laughed

"He blamed me, you know. They all blamed me for your father whisking you away from us and sending you to your Mom's. I was not very popular."

"Edward," I replied, turning to face him. "It was more Charlie's fear of what would happen next between me and boys my age rather than anything personal against you. He has never known what went on that day."

"No, indeed, your panties were back in place by the time he opened that door," Edward smirked.

I slapped at his arm.

"You could have been the one who sent me on the path to damnation, had I kept up that type of behavior at such a tender age."

"Hmm, we are not going to even discuss the fact you led me to believe you were already sixteen," he said, raising a single eyebrow.

"Oops yah, sorry about that. I kind of figured you wouldn't be game to touch me if you knew I was underage."

"Let's just agree we were both rather foolhardy and not thinking with our brains," he replied.

"I took what you said seriously," I informed him. "I did wait, after that, until I was nineteen in fact. The idea of having what you said, ten lovers by the time I was 25, did scare me into chastity again."

"So, what I did to you was not all bad then?" he asked quietly, his voice suddenly serious.

"Edward, what WE did was mutually consensual. I never saw it as bad at all."

"It led to you being sent away from your home and your school and all your friends," he replied softly.

"Yeah, I can't say I was thrilled but on the other hand, it probably was a good thing."

"How so?" he asked, as we resumed walking.

"Before that, Charlie and Renee never saw one another. I lived with him, and he dropped me at SeaTac when I went to visit her. She never came back to Forks. She hated this town. I refused to come back for any holiday breaks so Charlie was forced to come to us. Before we knew it, Mom was crying on Charlie's shoulder about Phil and the other women and ...you do know Charlie and Renee are remarried to one another? They had a whole new wedding in my Senior Year of High School."

"Bella, it's Forks, and anyway, Alice Brandon and her Mother went to their wedding. We all know. What happened?"

"Well, when I arrived at their house, I was initially determined to be such a bitch that Mom would return me to Charlie, but I soon realized her problems were a lot bigger than mine. She was always unhappy, and Phil was rarely home and when he was, they were fighting all hours of the night. He usually arrived home at three in the morning and they woke me up with their screeching at one another. Being famous had gotten to him, and he was taking full advantage of all the 'perks' of that. He didn't have another woman. He had a hundred of them. Mainly just fans, who wanted to be able to say they had done it with him, so, in his eyes it was nothing serious, only _'a bit of fun'_, but Renee saw it _very_ differently. It wasn't long before she opened up to me, and told me how unhappy she was. I told her she should leave him. I think she had just been waiting for someone to tell what she already knew. They separated about a year after I arrived, and the divorce was final later that year. Mom really needed me so I had a short, sharp lesson in growing up and maturing. I realized there were others people in the world, not just me."

"So, you stopped fighting to come home?" he asked.

"I had a new home. I had a Mom who needed me, and that was new and different and we became close, far closer than ever before. More like friends. Sometimes she took on the parental role, sometimes I did. Things got so much better when Charlie came to visit me.

He ended up being there for Renee and the rest is history. I was their maid of honor and Alice came to the wedding. We had a riotous week together before she went home again. I missed her so much."

"I missed you," he said, and I blushed.

"I missed you too. At first, I was devising plans of how to get back here, hitchhiking … whatever, then the crisis with Phil happened and I guess I got over myself and just accepted that I was where I needed to be. But I never forgot you," I grinned.

"Good, because I never forgot you either. My memories got me through High School in fact."

"What? Didn't you date?"

"Nope," he said, smiling. "I felt like I needed to grow up a little first. The way we ended up in bed together so fast... Well, it was wrong and foolish and I knew we had taken it too far. I stepped back and just became one of the crowd. Just went out in groups, never paired off with any of the girls. And, as I said, the other students blamed me for your loss so I wasn't that high on anyone's wish list anyway."

"Edward, I'm sorry."

"Don't be. I got a lot of time in to study, and I went from good student to top of the class. My piano playing improved immensely by the time we graduated and I had baseball. I was always at practice sessions and those three things kept my days and nights very full."

"And how did you like New York?" I asked, knowing he had gone to NYU from the bits and pieces Alice had passed on to me.

"It was an experience," he grinned.

"Yah. College, the best days of your life," I nodded.

"They were good, yah, but I hoped to have even better days in the future," he replied.

I wanted to ask who he shared his days with, but I didn't want to sound needy and desperate.

His cell phone interrupted us. He glanced at the screen and held up a finger.

"Sorry, I need to take this."

I walked a little further forward to give him at least the illusion of privacy, but I couldn't help overhearing his side of the conversation.

"You will be fine. Just call Carlisle if you think it's not Braxton-Hicks. You have panicked three times already, just relax and lie down and time the distance between the pains."

I sighed.

It appeared I had arrived at least nine months too late.

Mike walked past Edward and waved to indicate he was back and taking over. With that, I was shown my classroom and my desk and where the Teacher's Lounge was situated. It overlooked a courtyard garden and was a tranquil little spot away from the main common courtyard, where most of the kids hung out. It must be nice to come in here, relax and unwind … forget about those masses of rowdy teens for a few minutes each day

Mike showed me how to use the coffee machine and led me outside to a table and chairs under a flowering tree.

"This is rather grand for Forks High. I think the teacher's were lucky to have that one tiny staffroom upstairs back then?"

"Well times have changed. There are three staff lunchrooms, two lounges, and even a study where you can sit and grade papers in peace and quiet. I'll take you on a proper tour later. So, Bella ... still Swan or is that just for professional reasons? I know a lot of teachers keep their maiden names."

"No, still Swan," I replied.

"I heard about..."

I waited for him to continue. I didn't particularly want to impart any knowledge he didn't already know about me.

"I heard about you and Jacob Black. Sorry that didn't work out."

"Thanks. It was a surprise, him turning up at CSU. I had lost touch with Jake years earlier so it was nice having a familiar face."

"You two were engaged?" he pushed.

"Yes, Mike, we _were_. For a year. Things didn't work out."

"And then you transferred?"

"I did."

"Have you seen him since?"

"Depends what you mean by seen. I have seen him as a friend but things are definitely done between us and have been for over three years."

"And has anyone else captured your heart?" he asked.

I shrugged. Jacob had never actually _captured_ my heart. If he had, we would have been married long ago.

"I've dated. I've had a few relationships," I said vaguely. I had no intention of everyone in Forks knowing every single piece of my personal life.

Suddenly Edward appeared at the door.

"Mike, it looks like Alice is in labor, proper labor this time. I have to go. I'm organized for tomorrow anyway. Bella, just a thought, I told her you were here and she begged me to bring you to hold her hand. She could do with a friend."

I looked at Mike. Alice and I hadn't spoken in about two years. We had drifted apart again after I left California

"Go," Mike said shrugging. "There's not much more to show you, Bella, and I know you will already have your lessons prepared. Edward, see you two tomorrow."

Childishly, I got a minor kick out of Mike saying 'you two', like there was something between Edward and me. Yet clearly there could never be because he was about to become a Daddy and to my ex bff Alice.

"So, Alice is having a baby?" I asked as we walked quickly to his car. It was something long, smooth, and so unsuitable for a family. Only room for two, no back seat.

Edward opened the passenger door and I slid inside.

As he took his own seat, he pulled his hand through his hair and sighed.

"It's complicated."

"Yah? Tell me about it," I prodded.

"Alice had this thing with my brother."

"You have a brother?" I interrupted.

"I have two brothers and a sister, actually," he answered.

"Whoa. You were a loner like me when I left. How the heck do you have a brother old enough for Alice to have a thing with?"

He laughed.

"I have two foster brothers and an adopted sister. My parent's fostered a boy my age shortly after you left then a second one turned up not long after. So they had three boys all in the same class. Then Esme found this adorable little Chinese girl on an internet adoption site and she and Carlisle went over to China and adopted her. She was three years old at the time."

"How lovely. What's her name?"

Edward smiled.

"There was a language barrier, as you can imagine. Her Chinese name was pretty much unpronounceable so Esme renamed her Mikayla, but it was more than the child could manage to say, so she called herself 'Kay', which we shortened to just 'K' and in turn, I became 'E' and my brothers became known as 'Em' and 'J'. Esme is 'S' or "Essie' and Carlisle is known as 'CC'. I think he rather likes it. He even uses it at work. The nurses all pander to him and call him 'Dr C' or 'CC'. I think he feels like he's 21 again. He never had a nickname before, so he grabbed onto it with two hands and made us all use it."

I laughed. I had barely met 'CC' so had no real idea of his personality.

"And now Alice is having a baby."

"With J. She dated him for about a year, but some things happened. J's bio mother turned up in a clinic, drying out, and J felt compelled to be there for her and he left before he knew Alice was pregnant. He's not a bad guy, he just wanted desperately to put his family back together again, and thought his mother was more important than his girlfriend was, at this stage of his life. They had mainly been friends before then, it had just become something more and a week later, he left. He didn't mean to hurt her and I am confident he will come back once he sorts out the family shit he has to attend to."

"He hasn't called? Not even Alice?"

"Of course he has, she chose not to tell him. She's a typical girl, she wants him to choose her and come back, without him knowing about the baby. She says if he knows and comes back out of duty, she will never know if he really loves _her_."

"So where do you fit in?" I asked.

"I'm helping Alice out until J comes back. We share a house together and I have volunteered to help with the night feeds, diaper changing's, and all that. Besides she needs me to keep the house clean and do the shopping and cooking. You should come over for a meal sometimes, when she's home and settled in again."

"And what does your girlfriend slash wife slash partner think of this? Does she live there as well?"

He laughed. "Subtle. I don't have a girlfriend slash anything at present. My last girlfriend refused to believe J was the baby Daddy when I moved Alice into my house with me, so whatever. I have never cheated on any of my girlfriends and this was the first time I had been accused of it … I may have overreacted."

"Didn't Alice back up your claims?"

"Sure but Tanya has never been guilty of being a reasonable person. She assumes things and refuses to listen to the voice of reason so what can you do. She's moved on."

"Does she live around here?" I asked. I was interested in seeing what type of girl Edward dated.

"Hah, yah, she lives around here _and _she teaches at Fork's High. You were introduced to her this morning."

I frowned and tried to think. God, no, not the skanky blond, surely? I was insulted simply because I was his first girlfriend and he had dropped to such a low level since then.

"Yep, I can see you are thinking of the right girl. What can I say, she's a gymnast."

"Edward, you are, what, twenty five, surely you are past dating girls because of their flexibility?" I admonished.

"Twenty six and I know, it was a mistake but Hell, there's not a lot of talent in this backwater town."

"Clearly not," I agreed. "Who else did you date?"

"Nobody here, I dated four girls in college, one for each year I was there, then I came home and rather wished I'd brought the last one back with me. I think I left her behind a little too quickly, without thinking it through. We are sort of in the process of thinking about getting back together. She isn't sure she wants to move here but she quite likes Seattle, so I may compromise and move there next year if things work out between us."

I nodded, because, let's face it, a beautiful man like him would never be without a girlfriend or ten.

"What's her name?" I asked.

"Bree. Gabriella, actually. She prefers Bree."

"Do you have a photo?" I asked and he nodded and reached into his pocket then frowned and paused.

"Actually no, I don't."

I shrugged, clearly he did but he didn't want to show it to me.

The silence growing was a little strained, but we were at the hospital by then. He parked and we rushed inside.

I have to say, at fifteen I was too young to appreciate how fucking hot Edward's father is, but this time, I was actually hit with a wave of his awesomeness. I'm sure my mouth gaped and I may have even drooled a little. I know they aren't related by blood but fuck, they should be. He was every bit as yummy as his son was. His coloring was intense, and unusual. Pure platinum blond hair and ice blue eyes that saw right into your soul.

"CC, you remember Bella Swan," Edward said, smirking at my reaction.

"Bella? Yes, I remember you," Dr. Fuck-hot replied.

I blushed. Of course, he remembered me, the skanky, fifteen year old ho who lied to him back in her Freshman Year of high school.

"Charlie and I became good friends. I miss him. How are your parents?" he asked.

"All loved up and still in the honeymoon stage. Rather nauseously so," I replied.

He smiled.

"That's great news. Our sons are forever teasing Esme and me about not acting our ages either."

"I heard you quadrupled the kid factor after I left, amazing."

"You will probably get to meet them all eventually. They come home now and again. J is missing in action at present and Em turns up irregularly but you'll meet them."

"How's Alice doing?" Edward asked, getting the focus back where it should be.

"She's almost fully dilated. Getting ready to push, but you know Alice. I'm not counting on a quick delivery. She's had a breakdown about J not being here and how it's all her fault she's robbing him of this experience and so on."

"Why don't you just call him?" I suggested. "She will probably regret it if the baby is born without him here. I mean, he could leave again or whatever, but at least he will have seen his own firstborn arrive into the world. You can't recreate that experience."

"Believe me, I would, Bella, but J is not accepting our calls at the moment. I suspect he binned his cell phone and has a new one entirely, in fact."

"Do you have any idea where he is?" I asked.

CC scratched his neck.

"I suspect Texas, where his mother last lived. That's where we got him from. But I have tried every number I can think of and can't find hide nor hair of him. I expect he will be back when he's ready."

"I just hope the kid isn't in high school by then," Edward growled.

CC showed me where I could change into scrubs, if I wanted to. Edward went on ahead into the room, to make sure Alice would want me there. It had been a while and we had not fought to keep our friendship alive over the years.

"Come on, she wants to see you," Edward said, pulling me through the doorway.

Alice looked so tiny, laying there, swollen belly dwarfing her tiny frame.

"God, Alice, this baby is going to be as big as you," I said unthinkingly.

"At least it's J's and not Em's," Edward murmured. CC and Alice laughed.

"Auugh, God, kill me or something," she screamed suddenly.

"Grab her other hand," Edward ordered and I rushed to the opposite side of the bed and let Alice mangle my fingers as she screamed and bore down.

It was a long day. CC announced the baby was facing up instead of down and it would be a long, slow delivery and he insisted on Alice having an epidural, which almost made me vomit when I heard the needle click into the epidural space in her spine.

Once the medicine worked it's magic, she became her usual happy self again, in between bouts of weeping and berating herself for not telling J about this when she had the chance. He still called her now and then so she alone had had the opportunity to tell him. She had no contact details. He always called from a public phone so really she was as helpless as the rest of the family now she needed him and wanted him to come here.

Alice curled up and fell asleep as the numbness took over and CC told Edward and I to go have a coffee and he would call us back in when the baby moved into a better position.

As we walked out, a girl of about eleven or so jumped up and rushed over, wrapping herself around Edward's waist. She was tiny and Asian in appearance and I knew this must be K.

"How's Alice doing?" a voice asked and I noticed Esme was there on the bench.

"Fine, she's asleep. Dad thinks the baby he might be able to move the baby into the proper position once Alice is fully relaxed. Though it might end up a c section," he warned.

I was now aware of all the silent conversations Edward and his father had been having. I had noticed but had arrogantly assumed CC was wondering where the Hell I had sprung from, not the obvious topic.

Their exchange was fascinating to watch, like they read one another's minds almost.

"Can K stay with you while I go in?" Esme asked, and Edward turned and smiled an apology.

"Mom, this is Bella Swan."

Esme froze. Literally, she just stopped moving, stopped breathing. I knew then she knew everything.

"Hello, nice to see you again," I said and she shook herself and smiled the warmest smile.

"Bella, I've always wondered what you've been up to. How nice you have come home again."

"Thanks. I have taken over Charlie's house, I suppose you know it's been sitting here empty since he reconciled with my Mom?"

"I did know. I would be happy to help with any redecorating. I have my card here somewhere."

"Later Mom, you need to go to Alice," Edward said, holding the hand of his hyped up little sister who was openly staring at me.

"Of course, be good K," Esme agreed and went off to get her scrubs on so she could visit Alice.

"So, you are Bella. You were E's first girlfriend," K announced solemnly.

"I guess I was," I agreed.

"Did you come back to marry him?" she asked.

We both laughed nervously, and I blushed bright red, because that's always such a good look.

"I came back to teach at Fork's High."

"Well, you should marry Edward. I don't like Bree," she confided and Edward blushed this time.

"She looks like you, but she's not his One. Their auras don't match. Yours do."

I had no idea what to say.


	5. Chapter 5

**Thanks to MacFaerie and our hilarious conversations online as we try and translate to one another. Being my beta is a hard chore, leave a review as a reward for her hard work, please.**

The Bro Code

Chapter 5

BPOV

Edward and I took K down to the hospital cafeteria, and bought her a milkshake. _We_ had much needed coffees.

"So, why hasn't the baby popped out yet? Alice has been here for hours. On TV the babies get born really quickly," K said.

"That's only on TV. That's not an accurate portrayal of how long and messy birth really is," Edward explained to his clearly cherished little sister.

"Why can't I go in? I want to see Alice and I want to see the baby come out." She was a curious little thing.

My stomach clenched. I felt a little cowardly, this child was more willing than I was to attend this miracle.

"You are eleven, K. There's plenty of time for you to see a birth when you are a little older." Edward told her.

"Maybe when you and Bella have a baby?" she pushed.

"God no, that will never happen." I blurted out. Edward raised an eyebrow.

"I'm sure you would make beautiful babies, I just can't ever see a baby coming out of this," I cried, indicating my small torso and tiny waist.

"K, Edward and I are not together. He has a girlfriend. I doubt that Bree would like to see me having babies with her boyfriend."

"Oh I dunno" Edward joked.

"Is Bree going to move here and be your girlfriend again?" K moaned.

"I did intend having dinner with her tonight, but that won't be happening now Alice needs me here," he said, smiling.

"You should call her," I pointed out.

"It wasn't a firm date. We've been talking about what we both want to happen, for months. We really haven't come to any firm conclusions yet."

"But she is expecting to hear from you about whether dinner tonight is on?" I questioned.

Edward shrugged.

"I said I would call her if tonight was clear and now it isn't. Relax, Bella. It's not some big romance, we just get along well together, and thought maybe we should explore if we could have a future. It's not carved in stone or anything."

_Good to know _I thought.

K was adorable and I knew she had instantly bonded with me for some reason. Her none too subtle hints that she thought I was a better girlfriend for her brother were adorable albeit embarrassing.

"So, Bella, if you were Edward's girlfriend, would you let him play baseball on Saturdays?" she asked me.

"You still play baseball?" I asked Edward.

He sighed and tortured his hair.

"I like playing for the local team and of course, I am Coach at the school. I think I should keep it up for that reason alone."

"Oh," I said surprised. "You teach sports?"

He had always been such an academic over achiever. I had assumed he taught some of the harder subjects.

"And Music, we get saddled with more than one subject these days. What are you teaching by the way?"

"I'm teaching whatever Mike needs me for. I was always fascinated by the written word and I love teaching teenagers to appreciate the classics and to let their own imaginations soar freely. My last class did some amazing work. I was humbled by their poetry and we had several girls who could end up published authors down the road. I'm sorry I couldn't stay and guide them through the rest of their High School career and see them leave ready to seriously pursue their first attempts at a novel."

Edward was smiling and he reached across the table and put his hand over my own.

We both pulled our hands back as some kind of buzz hit us.

"I was going to say, I love how passionate you are about it." he said, shaking his hand.

"What the heck is this thing? I had forgotten whenever we touched, we always got the tingle," he frowned.

I shrugged.

"It's some sort of electrical malfunction. Nobody else feels it when I touch them and I never feel it myself when they touch me."

K smiled, her face lighting up brilliantly.

"See, soul mates. It's your auras. They were together before you were born and now they are apart, they try to meld again whenever you two touch. It's a sign."

I laughed.

"Or it's some allergic reaction we have to one another," I suggested with a grin.

"Bella, you have to open your mind and believe. You two can't fight this, it will happen. You don't need to call Bree and beg her to love you, Edward. Bella already does."

"Enough, K," Edward growled. "You are going to scare her away and I want to get to know Bella again. We can be friends, you can't rush us down the aisle her first week back home."

"Just promise I can be your bridesmaid?" she begged.

"Fine," Edward said tightly. "IF Bella and I ever get married, you can be our bridesmaid but only if you let up and stop going on about this. You are embarrassing Bella."

A nurse appeared at that point, and waved at us.

"Edward, it's time," she said and we both jerked up to our feet.

"What about K?" I asked.

"She can sit outside the Delivery suite and behave herself." Edward replied. His eyes narrowed as he looked at her.

We hurriedly gowned up in clean smocks and headed inside. K looked forlorn and Dr. C spoke to Alice then looked at me.

"Bella, Alice is okay with K coming in, it's never too early to learn the consequences of sex ," he said, smiling at me. God, had I been in a Delivery Room at her age, I probably would still be a virgin. Maybe that was what he was hoping with his daughter. And I got that he was reminding me of the consequences we endured from our own single sexual encounter. Banishment.

Sex had many consequences.

K gowned up and came to stand near Alice's head and Edward and I resumed standing at her sides, holding her hands.

It was a tricky delivery and the nurse pressed down on Alice's pelvis in a way that made me want to scream for her, but clearly, the epidural was preventing her from feeling any pain.

"Okay, the head's crowning," Carlisle announced and I couldn't help looking up into the mirror the nurse had angled so Alice could see her baby emerge. I cringed, its head was so big and she was being stretched...

My stomach threatened to heave as I saw her body adapt and allow the head to come out.

Then suddenly all I could see was the miracle that was happening right here in front of me. This entire little baby emerged. It's arms and legs were stretched out, and she cried as the air hit her little tiny body. We all watched, and cried tears of joy and amazement.

Edward and I both dropped Alice's hands as Carlisle held the baby towards her and laid it on her chest.

"It's a little girl," I muttered, unable to restrain myself.

"Indeed it is," Edward added and walked around to my side and put his arms around my waist from behind me.

It was such a wonderful moment. Alice was crying softly as she stroked her baby's head. Esme and K moved closer to look at the new little person in the room and Edward eventually pulled me back out of their way.

"Still sure you never want one?" he whispered in my ear.

"God no, I want one right now," I exclaimed and he laughed.

"Bella, you would be an amazing mother," he whispered and for a moment, I really believed him. I wanted to be the one on that table, holding my own little miracle.

Of course, I wanted mine to have copper hair not black, and I wanted her eyes to be emerald green, not slate blue.

I shook the thought away.

Bad Bella.

Alice was smiling through her tears and the nurse lifted the newborn from her and took it to weigh and clean and wrap up in a blanket and Edward and I went with her and watched. The woman with the video camera walked over as well and filmed the whole thing as the baby was checked over and pronounced perfect.

"Here you go, give this little Princess to her Mama," the nurse said, handing the baby to Edward, who lifted her to his face and kissed her forehead.

"That's from Daddy J, he will be so happy when he meets you. I hope it's real soon, Precious."

I couldn't help crying again. It just looked so natural, Edward kissing the little baby in his arms. He moved the blanket back and showed me her tiny face. She has long eyelashes and a little button nose. She opened her eyes and gazed at us.

Her eyes were not slate blue at all, but shiny bright blue like a summer sky.

"My God, she can open her eyes and see us," I said, amazed.

"She's not a puppy," Edward laughed.

He took the baby to her mother as Carlisle put this disgusting lump of afterbirth into a basin and handed it to a nurse. The reality of birth was pretty horrible, but the product was so rewarding, maybe I would be able to do it one day.

Watching Alice hold her daughter and cry into the baby's thick black hair, I couldn't help wondering about her decision to keep J from this amazing occurrence. I couldn't judge her, I knew nothing of the circumstances and I knew from my own life that outsiders looking in often jump to entirely the wrong conclusions when they don't have all the facts. I'd mucked up a few times, badly, but this seemed so much sadder and worse than anything I had done to anyone. I just couldn't understand her allowing J to miss this. It was done now, over, and the closest he could come to seeing his child be born was a cold video image.

Knowing my face always revealed my every feeling, I slipped out of the room quietly and changed out of the scrubs and washed my hands and face. Looking into the mirror, I saw tears for this unknown J stream down my face and I wished he could have been here instead of me. I could have handled his fucked up drug addicted drunken mother for one day.

He should have been here, and this family had not done enough to overrule Alice and make that happen.

I looked at the clock in the lobby. Four fifteen pm. As I exited the hospital, the Forks community bus was just pulling up. I got in and went home, leaving the Cullen's to get to know their newest family member.

X~x~X

Charlie's house was sadly in need of a lot of work and I knew it would eat into my savings so I sat and thought about how badly I wanted to live here. I could just sell it and start again. Build something new. Something pretty and special and to my own taste, but this was my home. I was brought here when I was a newborn, and that bedroom upstairs was where I had slept for the first fifteen years of my life. It was where I had ceased to be a virgin.

It held so many memories.

Charlie had not changed a thing after I left, other than to pack and send me my clothes and the practical things. There were still bits and pieces of my early life in this room, like photos of me with my first pet, Abby the puppy, who died just before my fourteenth birthday. Charlie had bought her for me to have a sibling of sorts to grow up with. I guess he knew there would be no more 'baby' Swan's.

It was kind of ironic the way things turned out. Phil had a daughter the same age as me, and she never knew he was her father until I moved into his house. Suddenly his paternal feelings kicked in.

He had paid child support for all fifteen years of her life so far, but now he wanted to meet her and the timing couldn't have been better. His daughter's mother wanted some time to herself and agreed to Phil taking custody of her for the next several years. She figured she'd done her bit, being a single mother for that long and now she wanted to explore her other options, which invariably meant she was after some man who didn't want a fifteen-year-old girl as part of the deal.

Rose and I met online when Phil gave me her email address and then we physically met in person and actually got along really well together. Rosalie was stunning and nobody ever mistook us for real sisters, but it felt like we were and even when Phil left, Rose stayed. It was meant to be a temporary thing, until he got settled, but Phil was Phil, women would always come ahead of responsibilities. Rose didn't seem that upset about him never coming back for her, she was happy with us. Renee adored her, Charlie treated her as his own, and we had become a strange little family of four.

There was nothing official, they never adopted her, but Rose was ours nonetheless.

I missed her and I really needed to talk to her right now.

She'd come away to college with me and even after I transferred out to Phoenix after the Jacob thing, we had been in touch daily. She had offered to come with me but I needed space after that mess and of course, there was another mess still to come.

I sighed.

Life was never what you expected and planned for. I wish I could turn back the clock, start again when I was still here in Forks and finish High School here, then go off to college with Edward and our joint friends, and have that continuity that my life lacked.

I had gone from mess to mess, from breaking one heart after another, and never finding the man I wanted to spend my life with.

Maybe things were finally changing and working my way at last.

I wasn't a bad person, I should never have allowed either relationship to get to the point they did, but to be fair neither had been orchestrated by me. It was never my doing. Both times, it just snowballed out of control and wrecked everyone in its path and left us all damaged to some degree.

_Enough of that._

This was a new chance to begin again and to get things right. I had a new job, a new/old home, and new/old friends and the past was just that. Gone forever and I never wanted to revisit it again.

I was leery of getting in too deep again, and was determined if anything happened between myself and any delicious looking copper-haired male, it would be slow and steady and under my own control. No rushing and getting confused and having us end up on vastly different pages like what had happened in my past.

Rose answered her phone as I settled back in Charlie's old lounge chair, sipped on a hot cup of tea, and told her about the amazing day I had just experienced. I explained my mixed feelings towards Alice's decision and Rose pointed out, there _are_ women with worse relationships than mine.

Bless her little cotton socks, Rose always had this way of making me feel better about myself and my stupid situations.

"You learned from your mistakes, Bella. Grab on to that fact. You never robbed a man of the chance to welcome his own firstborn into the world."

"No, but I did muck up pretty badly all the same. I hurt them both, Rose. I just never wanted to hurt anyone."

"I know you didn't, and I can assure you Jake has survived and moved on. He's getting married, for real this time. I don't know anything about ... the other one ... _He Who Shan't Be Named_, but I bet he's married himself by now. From the photos you sent, that man was fuck hawt, Bella. He would have found happiness again by now."

"You're probably right. I have no doubt overestimated how important I was to either of them. They will have forgotten me by now."

"Bella, nobody would forget you, but men in particular move on. They replace and pretend nothing happened. I'm sure they have both forgiven you, not that what you did was even wrong as such. It's always better to face up to the fact you are not with the right person before it gets as far as the altar."

I looked at the naked finger that had bore two different engagement rings in the past and sighed.

Maybe my penance would be that there never would be a third ring on this finger.

"Just do one thing for me, girl. Don't rush into another relationship. Take it slow and easy and be really sure it's right and what you want this time. Or recognize early that it's just sex and fun and games, and be sure he knows that too, we don't need any more diamonds going to waste."

"I hear you, Rose. Did I mention Edward Masen is still here in Forks? And he teaches at Forks High?"

"Shit Bella. Is he still hot? Did he live up to his potential?"

"I would have to say yes and fuck yes."

"Bella, I'm hearing alarm bells ringing in my ears. Which category is he going into?"

"Rose, it's been years. So far, I like what I see, what he says, _and _how he acts. I just don't know where _he_ is, you know?"

"Well, make it simple. Is he married? Is he engaged? Is he dating exclusively just the one girl?"

"Kind of … none of the above. He has this old girlfriend that he is thinking of getting back with, someday."

"Pfft. So he's free. Just sit yourself down and decide from the start if you want anything serious with him, and if you are even ready to go aboard that ship again."

"Rose, I never meant for either of the others to go as far as they did. I don't trust myself to keep any new relationship on the same page as the guy now."

"First establish what page you are on, then explain clearly to him, in one syllable words, what you want from him and see if it tallies with what he has in mind. There's nothing wrong with having a friend with benefits, Bella. You could loosen up and have some fun times."

"Fun would be good but I don't know, I can't say as yet if Edward is even interested in me, and if so, in what capacity."

"Then sort it out in your head first, sister. I miss you, by the way."

"I miss you too, Rose. How are the parents?"

"Embarrassing as usual. They still hold hands and kiss on the street. Charlie asked me if I wanted to go to the movies with them last night. I declined. No way was I sitting in the back row trying to avoid watching them making out. Do you think this stage is going to end soon? It's been five years since the re-wedding for God's sake. Doesn't that mean the honeymoon's over?"

"Apparently not, but it's making me glad I'm here and not there, I don't envy you. Maybe you should get yourself a friend with benefits and pay them back. Let them hear what it's like sharing a house with a pair of eternal newlyweds."

"It makes you think though, right? If they can be like this at their time of life, how awesome would it be to meet the right person now, at our ages and be still going strong until we're well past their ages. Endless years of happiness with one man."

"Yeah, it does give me hope, Rose. Maybe there truly is someone for everyone."

"Go start looking, my sister, and make sure he has a brother for me."

I laughed.

"Well, Edward has two brothers, not that I've met them. J is taken, he's the baby's daddy but there is another one, M. I don't know his whole name yet. I will check him out for you and let you know if he's tasty. That is if he ever comes home to visit."

"You do that, sis. M...hmmm, Mitchell, Martin, Marcus, Malachi, God, I hope it's nothing old and archaic. Oh my, like Macauly, God, could you imagine a fully-grown man with that name? Good luck."

"Bye Rose."

X~x~X

Edward arrived at my front door around seven o'clock that night, bearing bags of takeout.

"Hey, where did you sneak off to? Was anything wrong?" he asked.

"No, not at all, it just seemed like family time is all. I didn't want to intrude."

"You weren't. Alice asked me to ask you to drop in to see her after school tomorrow. I think she wants you to see Jazz all cleaned up and pretty. I got to give her, her very first bath."

"Wow, I wish I'd stayed now. How was it?"

"A little scary, she weighs just six pounds so it was like trying to hold onto a little slippery fish. The nurse showed me how to hold her across my arm and grab onto her upper arm to support her and not drop her underwater. She didn't even cry, she seemed to like feeling weightless."

"I guess she was used to it." I shrugged, thinking about the baby's name. "Jazz, huh? Alice named her baby Jazz? Is that like the music?"

"Yes, after her father. My brother J is actually named Jasper."

"Jasper, how ... unusual. That's kind of old fashioned."

"Hey, you're saying that to someone named Edward. I think I get the prize for most old fashioned name." he laughed, while I sniffed the bags. "I wasn't sure what to buy. Do you like Thai food?"

"I eat anything. Let me grab some plates." While I collected the dinnerware, Edward went into the dining room. "What do you think of my castle? I'm trying to decide whether to spend my savings renovating or just sell it and begin again." I said as I joined him.

"Did Charlie give you this house?" he asked.

"Yeah, Renee lucked out in the divorce from Phil, they live in a freaking palace. And she has holiday apartments in Paris and London. Talk about compensation. Charlie was weird about it at first then Renee suggested it was their chance to set me up onto the road of home ownership and she had all the titles changed so both she and Charlie own her places, and Dad signed this over to me."

"Do you have happy memories here?"

"Of course, I do. A lot of memories, most of my life was spent here. I just don't know if I'll feel the same way about it if I have walls knocked down, and new windows put in, and have it painted in colors I like. It's got a good shell, it could be quite stunning, but would it still be home? What do you think?"

"I don't know. Home is more a feeling than a place to me."

"Yes, I agree. I just wonder if changing the house will change the feelings."

"It might, but it won't change the memories."

"No, not the memories, they are frozen in time."

"Bella, did you ever hate me for what I did?"

"No, you can bring me Thai food anytime you want."

"No, Bella … I mean what I did to you before … what made your father send you away."

"God no, Edward. You really took the pressure off me. I never again felt like I had to prove anything. I waited for years before I ever let myself get that deeply involved again. In fact, Jacob and I were engaged before we slept together. I wanted to wait, and well, he would have done anything I asked."

"I didn't know you had been engaged. Please, tell me about him. But only if you want to."

"He is the son of Charlie's best friend. We knew each other growing up but kind of lost contact when we hit the stage where we realized he was a boy and I was a girl and neither liked the other gender. So, I hardly saw him as a teenager. Then he went to the same college as I did in California and we renewed our friendship. I didn't know anybody else there so I guess we got pretty close in a short amount of time."

"And so you got engaged?"

"Yeah, it was kind of weird. He never proposed, but Charlie was so happy to have him back in the family, and Renee thought he was stunning and perfect for me, so between the three of them I got railroaded. I mean, I knew Jake wanted more than friendship and we did get along really well. I just hadn't gotten to the part where I imagined us together forever. Then one Saturday in December, just before Christmas, my Freshman Year in college, Mom and Dad threw this surprise party for me. Jake was waiting in front of the tree and he handed me a little box. I was thinking diamond earrings … only it wasn't. I had already let out the happy scream because I had been hinting at Jake for months that I loved those darn earrings in the jewelry store window, and I figured he had caved and bought them for me. When I opened the box, it was this very modern diamond ring.

I didn't know what to say or how to put the brakes on. Everyone was there, even Billy had flown out for the holidays and Jake's sisters too, whom he hadn't seen since they got married and moved away. They had come as well, with their kids. It was like this grand mingling of the Swan and Black tribes and here's me smiling away at what I thought was harmless pair of earrings. Instead, Jake slides the ring on my finger and announces I had said yes, when in actuality he had never even asked the question.

I knew everyone there was thrilled to bits and it seemed like the whole jigsaw puzzle was now complete, all the kids paired off, time for the next generation to begin in earnest, and I did try, Edward. I tried to make my puzzle piece fit. It was a square trying to jam itself into a circle but I kept pushing and twisting and trying to make it fit, to make _u_s fit. Eventually I had to give up and accept it was never going to happen."

"And Jake?"

"He hated me. He blamed me for promising to love him forever when I never said those words, never ever. I have never told a single person I loved them, because I never have. I mean, apart from loving my parents. It's strange and maybe I'm not normal or maybe I have the wrong idea of what love is, but I imagined it was feeling like you couldn't bear to be parted from that special someone. Like wanting to stay forever, and I dunno, lay on a table in the labor ward and have horrible things happen to you, but you would just accept it because it was _HIS_ baby and you wanted that more than life."

"And you didn't feel that way for Jacob?"

"Not even slightly. When I took my time coming up with a date for the wedding, he threw me an ultimatum and I walked. I had tried to make things work. I had told myself a thousand times it would work because it was what they always wanted. Charlie always saw Jake as the son he never had, Renee always adored him and took over caring for him after his Mom died when he was just a baby, he lived here in this house with us and shared my bedroom right up until we started school. Then he went back to live with Billy and his sisters who were teenagers by then, because he had to be educated on the Res. So, not only was I breaking up with Jake, I was shattering all those plans everyone made almost from the day we were born."

"What happened after you walked out?" Edward kindly asked.

"I transferred out. I needed to get away from all the memories, and the disappointed faces. I needed to start again."

"How did that work for you?"

"Edward, I did already say that I'm not normal, right?"

"Yes." He said with a small smirk on his luscious lips.

"Well … I ended up engaged _again_, in very similar circumstances."

"How so?" he asked, surprised.

"I met this guy and he was wonderful. He was tall and good looking, funny, and great company. I was new to the area and once again, didn't know anybody, so he made it fun. I honestly didn't realize he saw it as so much more than I did. He was pretty inexperienced and I guess I was the first girl he had connected with in so many ways. I hate saying this, but he was a virgin and I didn't realize the significance. I thought he was eager to cash his card. Who wouldn't be by their twenties, and so I let things steam roll along and next thing I know, it's my birthday and déjà vu."

"No diamond earrings?"

"No earrings. He had never bought me a single piece of jewelry, or anything to indicate we were something more. I assumed we were on the same page and yes, I opened the box, in the restaurant filled with our friends and classmates and they all knew … then there's me having another sparkly diamond slid onto my finger, once again without a proposal, or a discussion. And yet again , I just went along. I figured as soon as we went home I could explain I needed time and a few years grace before getting to the point that he was,_obviously_, already at. I thought maybe we could either keep the ring in the box until that day came or maybe even just have a really long engagement and see how things went, but Mick-Mack did what Jake had. He demanded I set the date and threw a fit when I chose five years in the future as a _'tentative possibility'_. So there I was, for a second time, walking away, and moving across the country. Luckily, I got my first position in a private school in Canada, and thought that I would be settled for at least the next five years.

I swore off exclusive dating, and absolutely _**no**_ accepting small boxes as gifts. Then the economic recession took my job and I applied everywhere I could think of. Finally I ended up back here in Forks." I finished with a sigh.

"So I imagine you are counting on a few years to get back to your _'plan'_ ?" he smirked.

"You got it. By the way, what's the situation with Mike? He invited me out and I kind of said I don't date work colleagues and I'm hoping there is some law about lowly teachers dating the Principal?"

"I have no idea, I never dated a Principal. Tanya and I dated, as you know, so I don't think there is a problem with two teachers getting together. You could get lucky, a lot of businesses don't allow dating between employees on different levels."

"I guess there's no problem with anyone trying to sleep their way to the top in a school, I mean, you are either a teacher or the Principal and he would hardly promote me and lose his own job."

"Mike's not strictly single, you know. You could use the 'I don't date recently separated men' line if you wanted to."

"Who did he marry?"

"Who do you think? Who had the biggest boobs and the best banana eating skills?"

"Jessica? My God. I'm surprised. How long have they been married?"

"Right out of High School. Like the day after Graduation. Though there was a reason."

"They have a kid?"

"Yup, born about six months after the wedding and yet weighing in at ten pounds nine ounces. Biggest preemie Carlisle had ever delivered."

"Really? Who has the kid?"

"They swap him back and forth. Mike even brings him to school sometimes and dumps him in the classroom of whoever he deems can babysit for the day. Luckily he's in Elementary school this year, Thank God."

"What's his name?"

"Oh you'll love this. Jesse-James Stanley Newton."

"Cool," I nodded. It sounded exactly like the type of name I would have guessed Jess would go for.

"I imagine that name will guarantee he gets beaten up in the playground regularly," Edward smirked.

"Surely not. He'll be protected by the fact his father is someone who could do them damage someday. Don't forget, I grew up the Police Chief's kid, I would know."

That left a lull in our conversation. I didn't know if I said something wrong or if Edward was just tired of talking about school, but he didn't say anything more the rest of dinner. Once we were sitting in the living room, he surprised me by talking again. Only it was not really what I wanted to talk about. It was obvious Edward was finished talking about Mike.

"By the way, Bella, I'm sorry if K embarrassed you today . She is kind of a freaky kid. She's come from the same factory Alice was made in. Sees the future, predicts stuff. Don't let her scare you away."

"I'm not scared of an eleven year old Edward, she won't be sliding a diamond onto my finger. That's the only type of person I fear nowadays."

"So does that mean you won't go on a date with me? Even if I empty my pockets and prove I have no velvet boxes?"

"I thought you were getting back with Bree?"

"Yeah, I dunno. Suddenly I'm not that bothered. Something K said."

"Not about our auras doing the sparkly thing?"

"No, more about me begging Bree to love me. I hadn't seen how it looked to others. I guess I was pretty needy with her when I think about it. I saw her as my last chance, and the only girl who would even consider moving away from NY and living in the sticks, as it were, even if she would only consider Seattle. K was right, I was bargaining and offering her incentives as if I was trying to hire her, not date her. If she wanted to date me, surely she would just move?"

"Please, Edward, never ask me for relationship advice. I suck at my own so I would never want to offer anyone else any insights."

"So, anyway, are you willing to come on a date? You can wear mittens and your finger will be well protected."

"Sure. I may pat you down for hidden jewelry boxes but okay, I guess I owe you a meal for this one anyway."

"I will be paying, Bella. I do not allow my girls to pay."

"Just keep on the same page as me, Edward, that's all I ask. I'm far from ready for anything heavy."

"That's just shell shock. It will pass."

"I hope so. I'm twenty-six years old, I should have plans or at least an idea where I want my life to go. Do you know what you want yet?"

"Sure. I've always known. I want what Carlisle and Esme have. I want a long happy marriage with kids and job satisfaction, oh, and a honeymoon that will last for decades."

"You make it sound so easy and almost ... possible."

"Of course it's possible, all you need is to find that right person and anything can happen."

"And now you don't think Bree is that right person?"

"I never did, but I had gotten to the point where she seemed to be the closest I would find. I mean, she's nice enough and she's pretty, very attractive, she's successful and loves her career, we get along well but the thing is, neither of us hesitated to go our own ways when college finished. We didn't even have a single conversation about either of us trying to fit into the other's world. It was great while it lasted but I think it's better left in the past, where it belongs. Like you said, you can't force a square peg into a round hole and that's what we would be doing."

"You won't look back and regret it? Remember, you were keen to try again with her before today."

"I was panicking. The thing with Tanya scared me, to be honest. I knew I was settling, and for a woman I had nothing in common with. She was convinced, hot sex was all we needed to be this perfect match. Only whenever we took a rest from the sexual gymnastics, there just was nothing else there. It was just physical, pure and simple, and I felt like some teenager again. I never went through the phase of having sex just for the fun of it back then. I was always in a relationship before anything happened. So I guess Tanya was my way of reliving what I missed out on. Maybe all men have to have one experience of sex without feelings, who knows? I know J got around at college. He had a new girl every week, if not every night. He was convinced that was the only time in his life that sort of thing was permissible so he became a total manwhore ."

"Was your other brother the same?"

Edward shook his head.

"Em is completely different. He really didn't even date at NYU. Then his father turned up out of the blue and wanted to spend time with him and he transferred. We didn't see him for a couple of years and when he came back, his life had been really bad again, like when he was a kid. He met his father, who promptly promised him the world and didn't follow through. He eventually disappeared and has never contacted Em again. My brother got into a relationship in college and was madly in love and the girl seemed to be everything he ever wanted. Then she dumped him over an old flame. He was burned badly by both of them, and he's never really recovered.

He comes home now and then, but he keeps to himself. He doesn't trust anyone but Esme and Carlisle, and us, his siblings. He's reacting badly to the whole thing about J not being here. He and Alice have never been close but he is totally pissed about J not knowing about the baby. If Em had known and knew how to get in contact with Jasper, he would have told him, no matter what Alice said."

"Maybe that would have been for the best?" I suggested.

"Maybe, who knows? I wish I'd told J myself. I honestly expected Alice to tell him long before this. He used to call her every week, she had ample opportunity to hint about him needing to come back. Alice is a very proud person, she was determined J would never come home from duty alone."

"Do you think he would have come back if he knew?"

"I know so. J would never have let Alice go through this alone. I'm living with her for his sake more than hers. I want J to know we all did everything possible for Alice and the baby in his absence."

"You are a pretty amazing guy, Edward Cullen. I have to get used to that name, you were always Edward Masen in my dreams."

I blushed immediately the words left my mouth. God, I was supposed to be all cool here, not admitting I dreamt about him in the years we were apart.

"So, you dreamt about me?" he teased. Then when he saw my embarrassment he rescued me. " I dreamt about you too, Bella. All I had after you left were the photos from your un-birthday party and your T shirt."

I smiled.

"Okay, don't freak. When you left this house that day and took the wrong T-shirt off my bed, I grabbed yours and put it on, and I took it with me to Mom's. I wore it to bed for years. Until Jake, actually. He was not so thrilled I was wearing a T-shirt with Edward Masen written across the back."

Edward laughed.

"You don't know how often I lay in my bed, wondering if Charlie had that shirt and wondering why he hadn't come to arrest me or something. It was evidence. He would have known for sure who that boy was in your bedroom."

"He never saw it. I guess he assumed it was mine when I grabbed it up. I think he knew who you were, though."

"I know he did. Guess who taught driver's ED at Forks High? Guess who made me reverse park, start on hills, and parallel park for hours on end? I was the one he chose to be the example for everyone else. I copped all his criticism and he really got his pound of flesh, Bella. I missed nearly every school football game because Charlie decided I needed more driving skill practice sessions. But I became the best driver in town as a result of his harassment."

I laughed.

"Sorry about that, Edward. He never told me. He never mentioned you, and I was never game to mention your name to him, in case he didn't know it had been you."

Edward smiled and took my hand.

"Funny, Carlisle said you would never tell. Thanks for that, even if it wouldn't have made any difference if you had."

"He still doesn't know what we did," I assured him.

"Bella, he was a fifteen year old boy himself once. I bet he knew exactly what we had done. It was probably written all over our faces. He had no proof, but he knew."

"Maybe. It just seemed so unfair, especially as we had decided not to do that again until we were much older. He sent me away to save me from something that wouldn't have happened again anyway."

Edward smiled, it was _that_ smile, the one I had never forgotten.

"We would never have stuck to that, Bella. We would have been making love at every opportunity in no time. You know how quickly we became whatever we were. You would have pushed me past my promise just by being with alone with me in some dark, warm place, within a week. Let's face it, what we did was phenomenal. How could we have not done that again, and again every chance we got? I know we were too young, but you and I would have been an amazing couple. I've never forgotten one second of that one time we made love. Have you?" he asked.

His green eyes were hooded, and his whole face looked like a man who had just made love, not one remembering a single act ten years ago.

I stood up and shook myself, suddenly feeling the need for a cigarette.

"No, Edward, I've never forgotten it either."

X~x~X

**PLEASE review if you are still reading,Macfaerie spent more than an entire night untangling my mistakes, she deserves to know people are reading!**


	6. Chapter 6

**Thanks to Macfaerie for working on this even tho it was her holidays. (No such thing as time off when you are my Beta!LOL)**

The Bro Code

Chapter 6

EPOV

Clearly, I already knew I would have to be very careful with Bella. She was gun shy and had serious regrets about her past relationships. I would be crazy to ignore those facts. Since Tanya, I was not interested in any further pointless, going nowhere hook ups, if there was going to be something between Bella and I, it would be serious, long lasting and exclusive. She may not even be ready for that yet.

I was sure she would be worth the journey, even if it _was_ a long and slow trek.

Anyway, the best relationships are based on friendship first, and I wanted us to be friends, at the very least.

After dinner, I helped her wash up our few dishes and we walked through the house, room to room, discussing what changes she wanted to make if she chose renovating over selling, and possibly building again somewhere close by. There was always land for sale in Forks. It wasn't as if this place had ever boomed or become a hot spot. She had little clue to what improvements would work. What would improve the house so she loved it, rather than felt obliged to keep it just because it was the Swan house. Even though she wondered if it would make more sense to just sell and begin again, I could hear the regret in her voice as she suggested it. She wanted to live here, in this house, but she longed for the house to be different, spectacular, and all hers.

I have land that I am keeping to build on one day in the future, after I meet the right woman and we draw up our own house plans, together. I couldn't wait to take Bella to my meadow and show her what a beautiful and mystical place Forks hid away from the rest of the world .

"When I build my house, I'm thinking of using lots of color inside. Esme thinks I should go with beige on all the walls, but I don't know. I kind of like the idea of at least one all white room and maybe a soft blue for the walls in the other rooms? Beige is neutral, sure, but it's also nothing, if you know what I mean. I like color, especially seeing Forks is usually dull and gray enough for anyone. Apart from the greenery, the very air seems beige to me. I would prefer colors inside."

"Well _you_ have to live there. When are you going to start building?" Bella asked.

"That's the thing. No offence to Alice, but while I'm happy to share my rented place with her, I kind of want the first woman who lives in my own house to be my wife . I would hate for it to be filled with memories of any other women. I probably sound crazy," I laughed.

"No, I understand what you mean. Every person who lives in a house leaves some part of themselves behind, even if only in your memories. I look at this kitchen and I see Renee painting the kitchen cupboards bright yellow, to try and brighten up the place, when I was little.

I know I should move into the master bedroom, after all, it has the most space, the best view, and the attached bathroom, but to me, that's Charlie's room. I don't know that I could ever take over that bedroom myself.

Yet my bedroom is so small and dark, it's not what I want at this point in my life. It's a child's room. Even repainting, redecorating, and buying all new furniture will never make it suitable for an adult."

"Maybe if you removed the walls up there, come and I'll show you."

I grabbed her hand and we ran up the staircase. We stood on the small open landing that both bedrooms led off.

"These walls are not supporting walls. You could get them all taken out and make this all the one open area. Charlie's bathroom is tiny, get rid of it, and open up the main bathroom. Have a loft bedroom with the bathroom incorporated in it. You can open or even half walls. Or glass interior walls, that would be cool. Get the bath taken out and have a new tub installed over there, all alone, under the window where the little bathroom is.

Then over here, have one of those big open shower spaces, and the twin basins along the outer wall, then have the toilet room enclosed.

How do you feel about bathing out in the open, in your massive big bedroom? Nobody could see anything from downstairs. They would have to be halfway up the staircase before you would be on show. It would be a little edgy, a little daring, are you up for that?"

Bella smiled and walked across from the bathroom, to her bedroom and on to Charlie's.

"God Edward, you have something there. I can almost see it already. What about the two tiny box rooms?"

"They're too small to be practical, as you already know. Open them up too, and have a reading area, or a mini library. A desk could go against that wall so you could grade papers here."

"So virtually no interior walls left upstairs? That all sounds amazing. I have to get a builder in here, and get a quote. Do you know any?"

"Well, Marcus, the best one in town will build my house when the time comes, but I'm in no hurry. I'll send him over tomorrow and he can check to make sure everything is possible, and not too expensive."

"What about downstairs?" she asked excitedly, seeing it all with new eyes.

"Down stairs is good, I suggest you just keep everything as it is. Those walls will all be load bearing, so far too difficult to move. The sitting room just needs modernizing, particularly that fireplace, then repaint the walls and add new furniture, it'll be golden. It's a big open sunny room. It just needs to be brought into this decade. With the kitchen, well, rip everything out and start again, but put everything back in the same places, it's already well set out. The room at the front would be a great media room, it's fully enclosed and on the darker side of the house. Then there's just the downstairs bathroom and guest room. Maybe make the bathroom dual purpose, so its en suited off the guestroom, but also still has that door into the hallway. I have one more idea," I stated, looking to see her reaction.

"What? Tell me," she cried.

"A veranda, around the whole house, put a roof over it and you would always have somewhere to sit outside and catch the sun, no matter what direction it was coming from. It could always be built in later if you needed more bedrooms. That would be a cheap option to make this a six-bedroom house, two new bedrooms across the back, and one at each end. Plus you would still have the front veranda. But for now, just a huge wraparound veranda."

Bella was entranced by the idea. The way she bit on her lower lip made me want to rescue it from her teeth. I knew I couldn't, rushing her would be the very worst thing.

"Thank you, Edward, so much. Now I really want to keep this house and just have it renovated. This is so exciting. I could never look at how it is now and imagine all those changes, without you."

"Glad to help. I'm sure Marcus can do magic here for a reasonable price."

I don't know why, maybe it was because she was so happy, or just at the thought of making this house special all hers, I decided to speak to Marcus first and tell him I would pay for half the costs. I could afford it. The Masen Estate money was barely touched, even with the expenses of my own house. I had never wanted money from them, and I preferred using my own savings. There were also the generous funds Carlisle had insisted on each of his children having over the years. I had thought about giving the Masen money away to charity but maybe it could do more good closer to home.

I wanted Alice to have a little place of her own, in case the whole thing with Jasper took a long time to be resolved. Esme had suggested doing up the old guesthouse in their backyard for Alice and the baby. It had only two bedrooms but it was a nice little place and I could easily afford to have it refurbished. I would get Marcus to do it as soon as he finished Bella's house.

I truly was in no hurry to finish my house. It had a lot of land around it and my dream was to have my wedding there, amongst the wildflowers that abounded in the attached meadow, and those dreams were a long way off. However, as I slept that night, I was dreaming of the day that would happen, and the bride walking towards me was none other than Isabella Swan. I awoke the next morning with a smile on my face.

Maybe K was right, maybe the reason none of my relationships had worked, and neither of hers either, was because we were meant to be together. I could see it, Bella seemed to be everything I had ever wanted in a woman, and after the way she reacted to Jazz at the birth, I was sure she would come around to the idea of having a child or two, in time. If not, well, who knows? Maybe I will come to love her enough to change my dreams for the future.

Maybe I will happily settle for her alone, if it's all that is offered. I could see myself very happy with just Bella in my life.

Cart before the horse, Edward, slow down, I admonished myself. Work on the friendship.

I touched my lips, remembering the quick kiss Bella had bestowed on me when I finally left her house last night. I hadn't expected one, and it had been all her own idea. She had been sketching ideas for her new loft and she decided to have one of those storage units built into the bottom of the bay window, with the lift up lid that you could put a mattress on top of. She could see herself to lying on it in the sun, reading. She was chatting away, full of new ideas, but I had to go.

Tiredness from the excitement of the day was making my eyes droopy. So I bid her goodnight and she walked me to her front door, then she kissed me. I placed my hands on her shoulders and returned the kiss just as chastely.

Her eyes were a glow with eagerness, and I knew she would be up most of the night, thinking of other ways she wanted to bring about changes to make the house truly her own and much as I would have liked to stay and share her enthusiasm, I was dog-tired.

Sleep came quickly and I enjoyed it. I also enjoyed the dreams it brought with it.

At first, Bella was wearing a full lacy traditional white wedding dress but it morphed and changed several times, finally settling on a slim fitting satiny cream frock that hugged her every curve. My hands could almost feel themselves on her, touching the small of her back, holding her chin as my mouth found hers and claimed her lips with my own.

I woke with an embarrassingly hard problem that I had no choice but to fix in the shower. Murmuring her name and finding myself filled with a desperate need to be inside her again.

I knew it would not be happening for a long time, but God knows, had she walked in the door at that moment, I would have forgotten everything I had resolved was "for the best" and taken her to my bed.

It didn't matter that doing that would have seriously set us back, in that moment all I could think of was her softness around my hardness, her face as our bodies brought each other pleasure, her eyes looking into mine and seeing what had evidently lived deep inside my heart all this time.

I never knew it was there, not really. I had thought of her from time to time, and smiled at the memories and wondered how she was, and where she was, and who was the one lucky enough to be in her bed, but I truly had not known that I maybe had loved her all these years, until now. Even as my problem was resolved, my arms ached to surround her and just hold her close.

"It can't be love, don't be a tool," I admonished to myself, while drying my hair with a towel and trying to fathom what the heck was happening to me.

God knows I'd wanted to fall in love, many times. My relationships had all been slow burners because I was always waiting for that connection to gel and it never did. Bree had come the closest but I was shocked, thinking of how little I had felt for her compared to the way my heart felt full to bursting for Bella already and that was ridiculous. Bree and I dated for six months before we moved in together and it only happened then because I knew she was at the point where if I didn't agree, she would have written me off as too much hard work and broken up with me.

I wasn't entirely sure why I had hung on to her so tightly, and I ruefully pulled the one photo I still had of her from my wallet and sat down at my kitchen table and forced myself to be honest.

Bree looked like Bella.

Long thick brown hair, big brown eyes, though admittedly Bree's were rather shallow and empty, as some brown eyes tend to be. Bella's were the opposite, deep bottomless pools of secrets and hopes and dreams that connected with you the minute you caught her gaze.

Both women were tiny, though Bree was maybe an inch or two taller, and both had shapely curved bodies but Bree's breasts were larger and I sighed.

I remembered all too well touching those breasts and wishing they were another set entirely, a smaller, softer set.

I hoped to God Bree had never known, and there was a good chance she didn't have the slightest idea because I had never admitted it to myself even.

My bratty little sister K had seen the resemblance immediately and forced me to consider the truth of the matter.

Talk about living with a witch doctor, the girl was probably more perceptive than even Alice, and more open and ready to voice her opinions.

I dressed slowly and decided I had to speak to Bree, just in case she had been waiting for my call last night.

"Hey Bree, how's it going?"

She sounded kind of breathless, and it hit me straight away, I had heard her like that before. I had made her breathe like that many times myself.

"Shit, this is not a good time, is it? I just wanted to let you know Alice had her baby last night, a girl. Six pounds and they are both doing great. Sorry for interrupting, I'll talk to you some other time. Bye."

I ended the call and grinned, that was one less concern. Clearly, Bree was not sitting at home alone waiting for me to make a decision. Nor should she be, she had her life there in NY, and it would have been foolish to try and make her fit in here where she didn't really want to be.

I had a distinct feeling her ultimate decision would have been not to even come and try, and that was good. I was a little surprised to feel no sense of jealousy about what I had inadvertently interrupted. I guess that was proof positive we were truly done. I had 'dated' Tanya since Bree and I ended so I hadn't exactly been keeping myself for her either.

"Wasn't meant to be." I confirmed out loud and shut the door on that whole idea.

It was never going to happen and I was happy with that.

It was really important to always be on the same page, I realized. Bella was right, we had to be open and honest with one another but there was no way I was telling her what I suspected was the truth, not yet. I would wait and see how she felt about me. I was not scaring her away, God knows we had K to try and do that for me. I had to remain the voice of reason and take it slow.

X~x~X

Bella was in the parking lot, already, when I arrived and she looked excited. I waited for her to catch up to me, and without thinking, I brushed a stray lock of hair from her face, pushing it behind one ear. She started to blush at my touch then shook her head, like she was clearing away some random thought. I should do the same before I lean down and kiss her in front of this gaggle of watching students.

"Good morning Edward. Marcus thinks he can do everything, even the veranda, and stay in my budget!" she said excitedly. I smiled at the smile on her face. God, she was beautiful.

"Thanks so much for sending him around. He was there at dawn." she grinned.

"Did you get any sleep at all?" I asked.

"I guess. I know I woke up twice so therefore I went to sleep twice. But I never made it into bed. I just couldn't turn my brain off. Marcus thinks the kitchen will be great if we go for polished wood. I'm debating with myself because I kind of thought of all white, an entire snowy white room. What do you think, too hard to keep spotless?"

"I love all white, and you have no kids or pets, I think it's an idea to keep in mind. What else did he suggest?"

"He loves the loft idea. He wants to put in an old-fashioned rolled top claw footed bathtub and have it right where you said, not in the actual bathroom area. He checked the walls and they aren't load bearing, so you were right, they can all go. His team is starting on it all today. Of course, that means I can't actually live there right now while they're working, but I hear there's a guesthouse in town now, run by Jessica's mother. I'm dashing over there at lunchtime to see if she has a room to spare for me. Marcus says it will take a few weeks at best, until it's livable again. I can move back in before the veranda is done and he's leaving that until last."

"Bella, why don't you come and stay with me." I said impulsively. "We could always use another hand with Jazzy, no doubt, and we have the room. Even with the nursery, there's still a spare large bedroom and a study you could have for yourself."

She bit that poor lip and I had to step away, pretending to consult the time on my watch. Shit, she was bewitching and she was pressing all my buttons, without even knowing it. Maybe having her in the same house was a really bad idea after all, but too late now.

I held my breath as she considered my offer carefully.

"I guess that could work. I'd love to get my hands on that baby," she added, and I envied a six pound one day old infant. "And Alice and I have so much catching up to do. I've missed her so much. I'm really stupid for not keeping in touch with her. I just never imagined I would be back here in sunny Forks," she laughed.

The sound went straight through me. I loved hearing her laugh.

"Hey, we have three minutes to get to class, talk to you later? Lunch room, noon?" I suggested and she nodded. One of her students approached, and I walked ahead inside leaving her to it.

Alice called me minutes before I left my classroom to meet with Bella for lunch, and she asked me to bring in her going home clothes, which she had left behind in her panic to get to the hospital. She described in great detail exactly what she wanted and where each piece was located, and I sighed.

"Rain check? I have to take Alice some clothes to wear home," I said when Bella looked in the doorway as she passed.

"Do you need a hand? What outfit does she have in mind?" Bella asked.

I handed her my hastily written note and she read it and laughed.

"What's this bit?" she asked, grinning.

"I have no idea, something about red low boots in her shoe closet."

"I think you will find she said her red Louboutins. It's a brand of shoe, Edward, not boots."

"Thanks, that will save me some time searching then."

"I had better come with you, I think I can confidently say I will find everything a lot quicker than you will."

I agreed, of course, I wanted some more time alone with her, no matter how brief, so we headed to my car.

Bella assembled the items on the list as I brewed us a pot of tea and made sandwiches so we could eat before rushing to the hospital. I put everything on the outside table and called Bella. She settled in the chair opposite mine and looked around the yard.

"This is nice, plenty of room. Oh, do you have dogs?" she asked excitedly, seeing the elaborate kennels set up down the far end of the property.

"No, the owners were dog breeders and we can have pets but I haven't actually got around to adopting a dog yet. But I intend to. Do you have a dog?" I asked. We could easily accommodate a dozen dogs but I hadn't seen one at her house.

"I've wanted another dog since Abby died when I was fourteen. Like you, I haven't actually gotten around to getting one but maybe I will, now I have a house of my own. It's probably just as well, really, all the moving around I've had to do over the last few years."

"Do you think you'll settle here for a prolonged period of time?" I asked her hopefully. She would hardly be spending so much on the house, surely, if this was just a temporary home. Unless she was thinking of the resale value, of course.

"I don't know, I wasn't intending to stay long, I kind of thought it would depend on how long my job here lasted. You just never know nowadays, you can be gainfully employed one minute and out in the cold the next."

"Forks doesn't have a high turnover of teachers, I don't think many people check the box for this place to be somewhere they'd be willing to transfer to. I think your job is pretty safe."

"In that case, I may stay a while. I mean, I can hardly miss out on seeing little Jazz growing up, and I feel like I'm back among friends already."

"You are," I smiled."So, are we going on our first date tonight?"

"No, sorry," she said, shaking her head. "Marcus tells me the kitchen gets ripped apart tomorrow and I want to make one last meal in it before it goes. You could come eat with me, I still make a wicked curry. I have all the ingredients."

"You're on," I answered, this was even better. Home alone with Bella. Alice would be discharged tomorrow so tonight was our last taste of baby-free existence for a while, we should take advantage of it.

Time had slipped away from us, sitting there in the warm sun, talking about her house, and when we should bring her stuff over. I dropped Bella back at school so she could explain to Mike why I was missing in action for the next half hour or so, if he asked. I had a free period so he may not even notice. I headed for the hospital.

I lay the dress down over the back of Alice's visitors chair and handed her the bag Bella had packed with everything else.

"So, you and Bella are back together," Alice stated, clapping her hands together lightly.

"What? She just got here, Alice. Though I do have one thing to ask you. She needs somewhere to live for a few weeks, Marcus is renovating her house, so I wondered..."

"Of course. Maybe she can fill up that empty side of your big cold bed."

"I actually offered her the guestroom," I replied.

"Oh Edward, get over yourself. You have never brought a single woman home with you. Even with Tanya, you always went to her place. This is _so _different, it's Bella."

"I know, and that's why she will have her own room. I'm not going to fuck this up, Alice. She's still gun shy from her two aborted engagements, and there's no way I'm rushing anything with her until she's ready. So do me a favor and butt out. Let things happen at their own pace. You want her to stick around, right?"

"You know I do. I can't wait to spend half the night gossiping and filling her in on what she has missed over the last ten years. God, she has no idea about Tyler and Eric, right?"

I smirked and shook my head. Both men had worked their way through most of the female population before giving up and coming out of the closet. They were the only' gays in the village', or at least, the only openly gay couple.

"Ew, she never kissed Eric, did she? I can't remember. I know he was chasing her in Middle School."

"No, Alice, I was the first boy to kiss her, so I can assure you she never kissed Eric."

Alice smiled.

"This is kind of perfect when you think about it. She was your first, you were hers, it's like you two just went off and got lost for a while and now you are finding your way back home."

God knows that sounded good.

"So, you will help me by being respectful and not pushing anything? And you can keep your thoughts to yourself ? We get enough from K, and her mystic powers of predicting future events."

"I must ask her about Bella's wedding dress. I've seen it but it's kind of hazy. Not snowy white, more of a cream? And not big and puffy, it's slinky.."

"And fits her like a glove," I finished.

"You've seen it too?" she cried excitedly.

"I had a dream and it morphed into this frock I will never forget. I just have to find it, IF AND WHEN THE TIME COMES."

Alice laughed.

"She has no idea yet, does she?"

I shook my head.

"And it will remain that way, hear me? I won't forgive anyone who scares her away. Remember that, when you get carried away, and start hinting things to her."

Alice looked at the doorway as a nurse entered, pushing a red faced screaming Jazz inside a perspex bassinet.

"There, there, I won't let anyone touch you again," she murmured as she lifted her daughter and bared a breast and settled the baby on to feed. "She had to have all those regular newborn tests," she explained to me as the cries disappear and a soft contented sucking replaces it. "Edward, I really need Jasper. What am I going to do?"

"I offered to get Jason Jenks onto the case, have you finally decided that would be a good idea after all?"

"You were right, I was wrong. I don't care if he only comes back for his daughter, I just need him to know she exists. I would appreciate any help you can get me."

I kissed the top of her forehead and waved as I left, opening my phone and hitting his number.

"Jason, start looking in earnest. Alice has finally agreed, it's what needs to be done. Do you have any leads yet?"

I admit I was surprised to hear Jasper was not in Texas, his mother had never left that state before in her entire life so it had seemed obvious, at first, where he would have gone.

"Is Mrs Whitlock still there?"

Apparently not. Neither Jasper nor his mother were anywhere in the lone star state. That made things a lot harder.

X~x~X

Bella was washing vegetables and passing them to me. I was in charge of the peeling. Then she took them back to cut up in the sized pieces she preferred. We worked well together, anticipating one another's needs and I made sure I kept a gap of six feet or so between our bodies so that buzz wasn't happening. The air was a little tense, but I guess there will be some sexual tension between us. It was okay, just another thing that needed to be kept under control.

"So, you saw Jazzy as well? Did you get to hold her ?" she asked.

"Alice had to feed her, she had been poked and prodded and had all these tests done on her, so she wasn't feeling much like having a visitor hold her."

"Good, so I didn't miss out on much," Bella replied.

"You really like that baby, don't you?" I teased.

"I have never really been near one before, especially not one that's just hatched. That was amazing, seeing her take her first breath. I wish I could have swapped places with J though, even if it was the best experience of my life so far."

"It was really special, being in that room. I really wish now I'd forced Alice to tell him, it's just wrong that he has no idea he is a father. I would hate to be in his shoes. Can you imagine finding out you have a child you had no idea about, and know everyone else had seen and held her and you weren't there? God, this could end really badly, you know. What if Jasper hates Alice for not telling him? It's kind of unforgivable, really, in my book. I would never get over something like this, not when she knew and had all those chances to tell him."

"Maybe he should have stuck around, or at least kept up the phone calls. You saw her cave, in the Delivery Room. She needed him, more than his mother did."

"Bella, most foster kids have a lot of unresolved issues. J really felt like his Mom needed him and he always felt like he had deserted her when he was living with us. He all but forgot her for years, and enjoyed being part of a normal family, something he had never experienced before. Then of course when she suddenly contacted him after he finished college he felt guilty and obliged to go help her out."

"Do you have any contact with your bio's?" she asked, biting her lip.

"I believe both my birth parents are dead now. I inherited money from their estate, so that pretty much means they are no longer alive."

"Sorry, I shouldn't have asked," she replied quietly.

"Bella, I really never knew them and my memories, such as they are, are really hazy and indistinct. I do remember my mother, a little. I know she had long hair the same color as mine, and green eyes. I don't remember my father at all. Maybe he wasn't around much."

"Do you have any happy memories of that part of your life?"

I shrugged. "Maybe, I kind of remember my Mom giving me some amazing book one time, it was really nice. I looked at the pictures when I was in bed at night and wondered what the words said. I used to make up my own version of the stories on the pages. I don't know what happened to it, I don't think it came with me to Esme's house."

"Can I ask? Did they hurt you? Your bio's?"

"Not physically, it was more benign neglected, leaving me home alone. My Mom either adored me or rejected me outright, I know I was always worried what kind of mood she would be in. Living with her was always Heaven and Hell. I felt like the most precious of little boy's or the most unwanted burden possible."

"God, that's horrible. Maybe people should have to pass a test or something before they are allowed to have a child. I worry I wouldn't be a good enough mother. I don't know if you can risk having a baby on the off chance you would be one of the good enough parents."

She laid the knife down on the bench after putting everything in the pressure cooker and setting it to make our dinner.

"I think you would be a great mom," I told her, watching her face as she considered my words.

"I don't think I'd cope as a single mother. I guess the best plan would be wait and make sure I was in a really secure marriage before even considering motherhood."

She sat up on the countertop, and reached to open a bottle of white wine. I nodded a yes to her offer and took the glass she handed me.

"Here's to Renee's old kitchen, may it rest in peace," I toasted.

"Or in pieces," Bella quipped and tossed the wine down her throat.

She put her glass down, and turned her gaze on me, taking my glass away.

"So, what will we do while we wait?" she asked.

"I guess we could..." I began, looking around the kitchen wildly for some inspiration of an activity that would distract us both from this tension.

"Kiss me, Edward," she invited and pulled me closer, so I was standing between her legs.

I breathed in deeply and hoped the counter was high enough to cover any reaction my body had to her kiss. She allowed me to lead, mimicking my actions herself, chasing and massaging my tongue back. My head spun and I placed my hands on her back, sliding down to her waist.

I traced a single finger across the skin above her waistband, feeling how soft and smooth she was, and my mind started to drift. I realized one fingertip had tucked itself inside the fabric and was wanting to slide downwards, inside the garment.

No, go slow, don't push her, you fool, I cautioned myself.

I settled for holding her hips. My hands rested on the waistband of her jeans, my fingers inside the belt loops, and my thumbs reaching up to draw circles on her bare skin. We both jumped a little as the surge built up, then she started deepening the kiss and I let go and stepped back away from her."Whoa," I gasped and breathed in deeply and slowly.

Bella grinned and brushed her hair back off her face.

"Are you afraid of me, Edward?" she said with a smile.

"No, no, it's just..."

"You are, you think I'm going to ensnare you in my web, and have my way with you."

It was a little too late, she had already caught me. I was helpless against her charms.

She slid off the counter, and stretched her arms above her head. My eyes defied me and glanced at that tantalizing gap between her jeans and her top. As she turned her back to me, I grabbed her and circled my arms around her holding her back against my front, hoping she wouldn't notice my problem.

She laughed and pushed my hands away and danced away from me, smiling, holding out a hand.

I took it and she pulled us towards the sitting room, flicking the cd player on as we passed.

"Dance with me, I never got to go to Prom with you." she sighed sadly, and I took her into my arms and danced with her, nuzzling her neck to smell that enchanting scent that was all Bella. No other girl had ever smelt like this, and it was madly evoking so many memories.

"I missed you," she murmured, and I kissed her, bringing us to a halt.

"God, I had no idea how much I missed you," I answered, feeling suddenly calm and ready to open up and allow her in. I could trust Bella, it was different with us.

"Stay tonight?" she asked, and I frowned, wondering what staying over would mean.

"I just want to sleep beside you, Edward. You make me feel cherished and I can't let that feeling go yet. Just stay please."

I nodded, afraid to speak as she pulled us back into the dance and I rested my lips on the top of her head.


	7. Chapter 7

**Thank You Macfaerie as always. It's really difficult at the moment because my internet is so slow at the end of each month,( it doesn't unshape until the 22nd), and Google Docs keeps resetting, so we are exchanging chapters in small sections at a time and it's driving us nuts!**

The Bro Code  
>Chapter 7<p>

EPOV

Bed time, I walked upstairs behind Bella and enjoyed the view.

"Are you checking out my ass?" she laughed.

"Well, it is right there, in front of me," I said, it was hardly my fault.

Bella took her night attire with her down to the bathroom. I took off my shoes and socks, and sat on the side of the bed, playing with the button on my jeans. Was it better to leave them on, and wake up aching from their presence, or can I risk just sleeping in boxers? Am I trustworthy enough to sleep with only a thin layer of silk between her, and my ever raging erection? It wasn't like it would forget to present itself tonight, while she is within touching distance. My dreams made it as hard as a rock so what effect would the real girl have on it? I hoped I wouldn't embarrass myself in the night, getting too involved in my usual sex dreams. Maybe staying was a really bad idea.

"Hey, let's get the talk over and done with, so it's out of the way." she suggested, and I risked slipping my jeans off and climbed in beside her. Lying on my side, I propped my head up with one hand.

"Okay, what are we talking about?"

"Well, we agreed to stay on the same page. What do you want from me?"

I choked a little. I could hardly voice the thoughts I was currently having, watching her breasts rise and fall as she breathed in and out. "I really like you, and you know I'm attracted to you, once again, and I want us to be something real. What do you want from me?"

She smiled and stroked my face. "I want the same thing. You seem kind of reluctant to touch me."

"I kissed you. I held you while we danced." I huffed. I had touched her and I had damn well kept in complete control despite the temptations to do so much more.

"So, we are dating but not sleeping together?"

"I'm sleeping in your bed right now," I answered gruffly.

"Edward, don't be obtuse. If you don't want me in that way, then, fine. I guess we can be friends."

"Of course I want you in that way, in every way. I'm trying to be sensible and cautious and not rush things."

"Okay, but why? We are both twenty six and not virgins, we both know that. We've been in other relationships and sex was part of those, so why not part of this?" she asked.

"I don't want to get too heavy too soon and scare you away. I don't want us to end up like the others. I can wait, we can go slowly."

"And what if I don't want to go slow?" she threw at me.

"Bella, your other relationships ended because everything happened too fast for you, and you walked. I never want to have you leave me. I couldn't bear watching you walk out of my life. We endured that once, I can't do that again. At least this time we are adults and are in control and nobody can tear us apart, other than ourselves."

"Wait, you think I split with Jake and Mick-Mack because things went too fast? Maybe Mick-Mack and I did rush things, but that was not the problem. Jake and I dated for ages without so much as touching one another or having "naked" time. We waited, we did the sensible thing. It still didn't work out between us, because Jacob was not the one for me. I'm sure I was never meant to be his "One" either. He was just under some illusion. I can't say he was confused by the sex because that didn't happen until after the engagement. I felt I had to try everything possible to make myself fall in love with him, like he and our families wanted. Believe me, being sensible and taking things slow does nothing if you are not with the right person. Weren't you sensible with your girlfriends? Did you just rush into sex?"

"No, I see your point. I guess in most cases, I only slept with them to advance the relationship to the next level, but it never helped. It became more confused because then sex was part of the picture. It's easy to stick around for the sex alone, and pretend everything's on track, even if it isn't. I mean, the most honest relationship I ever had was with Tanya, because we both knew what we wanted. We were not kidding ourselves or anyone else that what we had would last or lead anywhere. It was my little aberration away from being good, sensible Edward."

"I admit I rushed things with Mick-Mack. God, that was even a worse mess than with Jake, really. I never knew there were men who waited to have sex with the 'right girl', and he never explained he had saved himself. He made a move on me and told me he was a virgin and I just assumed he wanted to get rid of that virgin status, and have some fun. I was up for fun, I just had no idea he was bestowing such an honor on me or I would have never agreed."

"Huh, sounds so like my brother Emmett."

"Emmett? I thought your other brother's name started with M."

"No, Em. E.M. I was E so he had to be Em. He saved himself all through high school and NYU then he slept with his girl, and when she went back to her former lover, he was crushed. He still hasn't slept with anyone else, as far as I know. It fucked him up royally, but as I pointed out, had he waited until they were married, he would have never had to go through that. He was just that type of guy who should have waited even longer. She would have walked before the ceremony if she really wanted her old lover back, or else they would have gotten married, and that would have been that. She sounded like a nice enough girl. It was a real shock when she betrayed him."

"How horrible. Why would she pretend to be over her first boyfriend if she wasn't?"

"No idea. I never actually met her or even spoke to her. Em was away from us at that time. That was the worst experience of my life, when he came home and we knew he was hurting, but he pretended everything was fine. That very night I found him on the floor in his bedroom. He had overdosed. I thought he was dead. I could vividly recall sitting beside him, uselessly, as our father did what had to be done to keep Emmett alive until the ambulance arrived. I was in shock, and my finger traced the name of his girlfriend, tattooed on his arm. I remember wishing and hoping the capital A her name began with would be lucky and stand for 'Alive', as well, it was a much more vital word than her stupid name. I desperately needed Em to live."

Bella moved in closer and put her arms around me. "That must have been awful. She has a lot to answer for. Did anyone tell her what he had done?"

I shrugged. "None of us knew her, Emmett planned on bringing her home for the holidays to meet us, but she split before that happened."

"Okay, we need to balance this. If that is your worst memory, what is your best?" she asked.

I grinned. "Giving myself to my first girlfriend in High School, and taking her virginity at the same time. It was awesome, you should have been there."

Bella laughed and swatted at my hair. "Really? You must have had much better sex than that once you got some experience under your belt."

" I never expected to make love at fifteen, I truly imagined being eighteen or older before that would happen. You gave a fifteen year old boy the time of his life. Sure, maybe sex lasted longer, later. I seem to recall it took me only minutes to come, but I have always dreamed about that one time, never the others. They were just sex, we made love. I loved you so much, even back then."

I stopped talking because I had just laid my heart on my sleeve and wasn't sure if she had realized it.

"Was it really that amazing for you?" she asked, gazing from under her long eyelashes, her head tilted to one side.

I laughed. "God yes. You have no idea. I wish you had been able to feel what I felt. It must suck, being female and not having the same easy trigger to orgasm easily like we men do. For us, it's all about learning to hold off, for you, it's all about reaching your goal."

"You helped me reach my goal before you went inside me, I seem to recall."

"I know, but I wish it had been perfect. I wish I'd had the ability to bring you over the edge with me."

"I'm sure you are an expert at that now," she grinned.

"I've … improved, let's put it that way. I've never had any complaints."

"Good, I shall look forward to breaking through your resistance and finding out how much better you are now, for myself."

I grinned and shook my head. "You think we should make love already? Don't you want us to get to know each other again first?"

"I guess. Whatever. One doesn't rule out the other. We could sleep together and still date and talk and catch up all at the same time."

"I don't think that's a good idea. My heart is already involved in this. Bella, I know how those other two men felt about you, and now I know why they rushed their engagement rings onto your finger. You make us feel like we want to hide you away and keep you for ourselves, forever. I know you are not ready to hear this, and I'm probably shooting myself in the foot, but I have never felt this way about any other girl."

"Oh," she said, creasing her forehead. "I really like you too, Edward. I can admit I have never felt quite the same about anyone else and I hope we have a future, too."

"But you don't love me … not yet", I stated.

"Well, I do feel more strongly about you than I ever did Jake and Mick-Mack. It's a start."

"Well then we are not making love until you say those three words to me, and you say them honestly. Promise me you will not ever say you love me until you truly do?"

"You are pretty sure of yourself, Cullen. You think you will succeed where the others failed? Do you think holding back the sex will drive me crazy, and I'll fall madly in love with you?"

"Whatever it takes," I laughed, putting my arm around her shoulder and kissing the top of her head.

"Okay, fine. I swear I will never say I love you until I truly do. Happy?"

"I will be happier when that day arrives, B."

"Um, don't call me B. I've had enough nicknames to last me a lifetime. Stick with Bella, okay?"

"Okay. Tell me your nicknames."

"Why?"

"So I can tease you unmercifully, why else? I bet you got called Beautiful because you are and also because that's what Bella means."

"God, nothing so pretty. Jake calls me Paleface or Loca and Mick-Mack called me... God, do we have to go there? I hate nicknames. It's a stupid habit and I only picked it up because I shared my dorm with a girl from Australia. They nickname everyone. The captain of the college debate team was named Darren Prentiglas the 4th, you know what she called him?"

"No."

"Dazza. He hated it. He was all snooty and upper class British, cousin to the Queen or something, and she had everyone calling him Dazza. When he objected, she changed it to Dazzling Dazza. I caught the habit off her. I named Mick-Mack. His name was just Michael."

"Do you think of Mick-Mack and Jake fondly now?" I asked. I hoped she did. They were no threat to me or she would be with them now, not here in this bed with me.

"I do, and Jake got over it. We are back to where we were before it all happened. Best buds. He will always be in my life and I'm glad about that. He will eventually come home and live back at La Push. His father Billy lives there and I should go visit him soon, actually. See if he's forgiven me yet."

"Oh, of course, I hadn't thought of that. Jacob is actually a local. I've never met him."

"Not surprising, he loves it when he is living on the Res, he doesn't venture into Forks much when he is there. His life is work and surfing. At the moment he has a business in California, he works on cars and he and Rose have a garage near my parents place. My sister is never happier than when her head is under the hood of a car. They get on amazingly well. It's a pity they don't click, actually. That would be sweet. I'd get to have Jake as my brother-in-law and keep the families together."

"I guess you can't tell anyone who to love. The heart chooses for itself."

"Amen to that."

She turned off the bedside lamp and we lay back to back, but she was as tense as I was, and eventually she sighed out loud and rolled to face the middle.

"I can't see us getting much sleep this way. Maybe try holding me. I promise I won't bite."

I turned to her and lay my arm around her shoulders and she drifted in closer as she fell asleep. She ended up with her head on my chest, so I could breathe her in. I guess I eventually slept, and for once I didn't dream.

Waking up with my arms full of Bella was wonderful, and I lay there feeling her soft breath against my arm, waiting to see how she reacted when she awoke herself. All night she had snuggled in close to me, never trying to get away and separate her body from mine. My hands had snuck to palm her breasts softly now and then, just to keep them warm, but that was inevitable. I kept my hands above her T-shirt and barely ghosted them over her, but in my mind her breasts were naked and snug inside my grasp. They were so perfectly made, so full and round and just the right size for my hands. It was as if God had taken a mold of my hands and made sure Bella's breasts grew to that shape and size just for me.

Although she was slim and tiny, she was incredibly shapely, and I ran a hand over her hip and then across her flat belly, and wondered how it would feel if a child of mine grew in there one day. Feeling the baby kick through her skin as her belly swelled and grew, getting to know him or her before it was even born would be amazing. Bella's return coinciding with the end of Alice's pregnancy had awakened feelings in me that I had rarely thought about. I wanted to be a father. I wanted a little baby, made by myself and my Bella. I couldn't express that desire yet, but it was already there.

What if that was the stumbling block? What if Bella got over her natural maternal reaction to Jazzy as the baby grew and changed from a tiny bundle of perfection into a crying, damp, sometimes inconsolable little creature who kept us up at night? The pretty image of a baby dolled up in a frilly dress would soon be overtaken by a demanding little creature that put herself first. As she had to, just to survive, but it would certainly make us all face the reality.

Bella moaned softly and her own hands settled on her belly.

"My baby Edward," she breathed, and I grinned. So it was not only me imaging our own little miracle.

I think I would prefer a girl. Of course, if we are lucky enough to have several children, I won't mind what gender's they are, so long as one is a Daddy's Little Girl. I expect from that revealing sleep-talk, Bella wants a boy. It makes my heart beat faster, knowing she dreams about having a small version of myself in her life.

God I love her. It's undeniable, and ridiculous, and much too fast, but I would give anything to keep her. She is mine, make no mistake and I will fight to the death if anyone tries to take her from me. However, I still wonder how deeply she really feels for me. She admits she falls easily and hard, and then gets sensible and pulls back. I don't know if I will handle that part, if it happens with us. I know I said I can handle anything as long as she is honest with me. But really, how could one survive the withdrawal of Bella's love and affection?

I understand now how it was for Emmett when his girl left him. If Jake or Mick-Mack turn up here, I may well lure them into the forest and rip them to shreds and burn their body parts. Nobody will ever take this girl away from me.

"You stayed," Bella said and I smiled at her openly joyful face.

"Of course, I stayed. Where would I go?"

She shrugged. "Most guys don't like the cuddling up part afterwards or sleeping over all night," she said softly. "So I hear. And that's when they get to have sex, so..."

"Most men are fools," I assured her.

She turned her body to face mine and kissed me. It was no chaste peck, it was deep and delicious and meaningful and I felt my mouth reveal all my secrets into hers as her tongue gently moved against mine. I had to stop myself from declaring how much I loved her right there and then. Not only because it scared me, but because how weird would it be for her to have to hear it?

This time last week she was someone from my past who I thought about maybe once or twice a week, sometimes more if something happened to evoke a particular memory, but it wasn't as if my every thought was of her. I had been capable of thinking about many other things, and other people, and she was merely a tiny part of my past.

Now my entire world had become full of Bella, and everything before her return seemed to shrink and be of so little importance, it was ridiculous. Like I was a sleeper, waiting for my wake up call and now that I had it, life could begin.

Suddenly without warning my lips were on hers, her body was in my arms, grinding against me. Her hands tugged through my hair and there was no air left in the room at all. My hands were greedy and sought to touch her, everywhere. Her clothes were like some horrid barrier keeping her skin from me, and I tugged at her top and slid a hand up the inside of her boy pants, feeling her soft sweet flesh beneath my hand.

"Fuck Bella, I want you so much," I cried out when our lips finally parted.

"Maybe we should just do this, just once, get it over with..." she gasped, her own hands inside my shirt. Then she moved them down my body, attempting access into my boxers.

"Bellaaa," I moaned.

Rubbing my hands up and down her back, feeling that small valley where her spine curved in and then blossomed out to her backside. I bit her earlobe and kissed her throat, feeling the blood race through her body. Her heart was racing as fast as mine was, and the buzz was there, tingling, shaking, drawing us together like two magnets.

She pulled her own panties down and kicked them away. Our clothes were missing, as if by magic. Her legs parted slightly and I felt my erection slide between her folds. I wanted so badly to just push inside her but my brain was shouting a warning to slow the fuck down and don't do this.

"Bella, we should wait, we should …"

"We should just do this, please," she cried back and rubbed her magnificent breasts against my chest.

"I don't have a condom," I cried out suddenly.

Luckily my brain was not so blinded by lust that I could forget to keep her safe. I had condoms aplenty in the drawer beside my bed, at my house. Bella had been in this house less than a week and I doubted she carted protection around with her like some hopeful schoolboy.

"God, we can't stop now," she moaned.

I moved against her, sliding my rock hard cock against her wet sex. Keeping strictly outside the place it was begging me to guide it, I grasped her thighs and shut her legs, just moving along her soft and secret places, grinding myself against her. The connection sparked and hummed and I was panting and feeling that familiar tightening in my gut as I longed to just let go and release.

"I have to slow down," I gasped, trying to pull away.

"No, just let go, just come," she begged.

I lost it completely and pounded between her legs, releasing violently onto the bed beneath us. Her own body was pulsing and she moaned out loud, gripping my upper arms. She bit down on my shoulder as she came against my throbbing member.

Christ, I hadn't come that fast since the first time she and I had been together. I had prided myself on the control I had developed over time, and always made sure my ladies got to orgasm before I did. But none of them ever affected me like Bella did.

"Bella," I moaned, kissing every inch of her face and neck. She kept her legs pinned together, refusing to release my dick.

"I'm sorry, I don't usually come that fast," I whispered into her ear.

"God, Edward, it usually takes me forever. That was amazing."

Her body was pink and slick with sweat, like my own. I fell beside her as she finally opened her legs, and let me go. We lay together, arms wrapped around one another, eyes gazing into each others.

"I can't believe you managed not to go inside me." she whispered, stroking my chest." I'm sorry for trying to force you to."

" I have no idea where that self control came from because I certainly wanted to be deep inside you," I answered, feeling my dick harden and twitch at the idea.

I shifted and tried to hide my condition from her, but her hand suddenly streaked out and grasped me tightly. I felt my pelvis lift and rock as she slowly stroked me up and down, her lip caught between her teeth as she watched my eyes hood and my mouth reach for hers.

"We need to talk, we need to exchange our histories," I murmured, trying to keep some part of my brain clear as her fingers teased and twisted along my shaft.

"I've been tested, I'm clean," she said, nuzzling my neck.

"Oh, me too, I had the six month all clear last week. Since Tanya and I ended. I've never had sex without a condom, ever."

"Six months?" she queried.

"Yeah," I nodded. "I didn't get any satisfaction apart from the obvious, being with her so I was waiting ..."

"To get back with Bree?" she asked.

God, Bree, I had forgotten she existed. "I have no desire to ever see Bree again," I answered, truthfully. "How long has it been for you?" I asked.

Surprisingly, I didn't feel any overwhelming need to know much about her past. How ever many men had taken their pleasure inside this body didn't seem to matter now that she was here with me. So long as I had a chance of being her last, her only lover from this point on. That was all I needed. Numbers meant nothing. Two, twenty two, they were all gone now. They were her past, just as the ladies who had shared my bed in college were just distant memories. They are ghosts who faded now that I had Bella in my arms.

Bella looked up tearfully. "It's been over a year. I don't allow myself to hurt anyone now. I've done enough harm in my life already."

"Bella, I promise I'm a big boy and can handle whatever happens. We need to be open and honest with one another and if you ever want to move on, promise me you will tell me. That's all I ask for, your honesty."

"I promise. This feels different. I've never had feelings like this before. I can't explain. It's like since we have been kept apart and now we are back, nothing else matters." she said, summing up what I felt myself.

"Do we need to tell one another about the others?" I asked her, in case it was important to her to know.

"I don't want to know. So long as you are truly finished with them, then don't tell me because I would rather not dwell on what I was missing out on."

"Believe me, none of them meant a lot to me, barely anything."

"Even Bree?"

"Bella, Bree was the best of a sad lot. I liked her, and she was fun. She reminded me of...the past. But I want you a million times more than I ever wanted her or anyone else. God, if I'd had you all along, I would never have even looked at another woman. I swear Bella, you are the only one who has ever stirred up my heart like this. Comparing what I felt for her is like comparing a twig to the forest full of feelings I have for you."

"I never loved them, you know. I was wrong to let Jacob and Mick-Mack even imagine I did. I never meant to lead them on, Edward. I was stupid. I thought we both knew it was just a temporary thing, both times. God, I was such an idiot. I honestly imagined my feelings might grow for them, and change, maybe one day ... but it never did. It was never like this."

I rolled to my side, and kissed her deeply. Easing my erection back to where it had been before, and slowly, carefully, we repeated the outer-course again. Both clinging to the other, our fingers intertwined resting on the pillow on each side of her head. We were both sighing in joy as our almost joined bodies sang against one another. Our lips only parted to allow necessary air to breathe.

It was kind of sad when we both cried out each other name, and I lay on top of her. I felt her pulsing against me as hard as my dick was pulsing against her. We soaked the sheet beneath her with the result of our orgasms.

"Do you think we can go back to sensible, and do things properly from now on?" I asked.

"Do you want to?" she replied.

"I don't want to, I want to take you into my bed and make love to you properly, day and night, for the rest of my life," I confessed. "But, I think we should be sensible and date and just keep things at this level for now. I don't want us to fuck up. More than I've ever wanted anything in my life before, I want us to work, Bella. We need to get this right."

"We will, if we both want it so much, we will."

X~x~X

"Shall I cook breakfast?

We do have classes to teach," I reminded her as she pulled us closer and played with my hair.

"I want a sick day, I think I have the flu and so do you," she replied, pouting.

I laughed.

"Well, if we did that, we could both kiss our careers goodbye. Because if we stay home today, I guarantee we will never leave this bed again."

"And that's a bad thing because?"

"Because there are a truck of builders pulling up in your driveway," I grinned as I heard the screech and rumble of Marcus' truck and those of his workers.

I jumped out of bed and raced for the shower, and Bella was right behind me, which led to a lot of water-play and soothing touches with gel covered hands as we explored one another's places we may have missed earlier. I made doubly sure every single inch of her was touched and revered by my hands and she snuggled against me as I stroked between her legs, making her needy for me again. I can't express how she made me feel, wanting me to bring her satisfaction and weirdly I cared nothing for my own, for once. I just had to see her come and feel her body shake.

My fingers caressed her and I leaned down to kiss her lips and my other hand gently stroked her nipple, and soothed her breast and I felt her come undone, sagging against me as I lightly kept stroking until she pulled away.

"Edward, I love...what you do to me," she said, suddenly turning away and getting out of the streaming water and grabbing a towel.

I knew what she had started to say and I knew how she felt, not wanting to go there yet. It was obvious that we were in love and it was equally improbable that these feelings could last and be real. This didn't happen. Love at first sight was a myth and made up for stories for little girls who knew no better. Things like this did not happen in the real world.

I had waited for months in every relationship to get near this point and never had, so how could we be there already? It made no sense.

I turned off the water and took the other towel and dried my own body, wishing we could just allow our feelings the air they needed to be expressed out loud.

I was scared, I had never been more scared, because I had never felt this way and I had no idea how one controlled their heart. I'd never had to, this was all new to me. Lust I understood, and knew how to handle.

Love was entirely different.

You could give into lust and let it have it's way. You could still walk away and be left standing afterwards, but love inhabited your entire body and soul. It had the potential to rip you to shreds. I had to learn quickly to be smart, and how to keep some control. To stop her killing me, like she nearly killed those other two men.

At some stage, they felt what I was feeling now, and no doubt, they imagined it would only get better and better, and instead she pulled back and walked away. She left their worlds, and both had shattered and fallen. I felt like I would rather be dead than have that happen.

So much for me being a grown up, I felt as vulnerable as a small child who had to wait and accept whatever love was dished out in rations at her discretion. I needed a woman who would accept me as I was, faults and all, and not reject me and make those early memories of my mother's on/off affection tear at my heart.

Esme had always loved me with no judgment and no reserve. I know it took a long time for me to trust her and her love as a child, but she had waited me out. Proving time and again that what she felt was real and giving and unconditional. I had misbehaved on purpose, just to see if she would withdraw that love but she always said the same thing.  
>"Edward, I don't like what you did but I love you and I always will." That's exactly what I need from Bella, and I don't even know if she is capable of loving me like that, or if she even wants to.<p>

"Sorry," she said as I walked into her bedroom and picked up yesterdays clothes.

"What for?" I asked her with a smile.

"I didn't mean to walk away like that. It's me I don't trust, not you. I know I feel like I … really like you a whole lot, but common sense says that's impossible yet and it would be foolish to declare it out loud. Anyway I promised I wouldn't until I was really sure. We have to wait and see what happens. See if it fades and becomes something lesser. I don't want either of us to think this is more than it is."

It's everything , my heart said, and I simply took her in my arms and held her silently for a long moment and kissed the top of her head.

"I can wait, Bella. I will wait. Forever if that's how long it takes to be proven real for you."

I dressed quickly and Bella made breakfast, as Marcus and his crew sat with us and drank coffee. They talked about where to begin tearing this old yellow kitchen apart. She handed me a plate with five pieces of crisp bacon, two eggs, and a stack of buttered toast. I ate like I had been starved for a month. Bella sat down with more coffee for us both and nibbled on a slice of toast, herself.

"You don't eat bacon and eggs?" I asked her.

She shrugged. "I intended to go shopping yesterday, but seeing that I'm moving out, I just used up what was left in the fridge."

What can you say about a woman who gives you her last eggs and bacon? I had to get home and change, me wearing the same clothes as yesterday would not go unnoticed for one second. I held Bella's hands as I brushed my lips against hers.

"See you at school. I love...what you do to me, too."

She blushed and turned her face up to mine. "Maybe we are a fairytale and the rules don't apply to us," she whispered.

"You could be right, Princess Bella."

X~x~X

Her boxes were still in the garage seeing she hadn't even begun to unpack since her arrival in Forks last week. She chose the boxes that held things she wanted to use at my house, and pushed the others back against the wall out of the way. I filled the back of my car, and its trunk. Then I helped her pack more of the wanted boxes into her own car. I drove away, and left her to say goodbye to her kitchen. I helped empty her car when she arrived at my rented abode after I redressed.

She liked my guestroom and I suggested we leave most of her boxes in her study for now and we drove to school together in my car.

Mike raised an eyebrow as I held Bella's door open and I grinned.

"You fucker," he mouthed at me and I laughed.

"How's Jessica and Jesse-James today?" I asked, having seen his car in Jessica's driveway last night on the way home from the hospital.

His story was he only visited to spend time with their son, but I was sure his reawakened lust for Bella would have meant he had worked it off inside his wife. It was not unknown for them to reconcile now and then, even if only for a night.

"Fine, fine," he muttered darkly and he waved at Bella.

"Hey Mike. So you and Jess have a son. That's cool. I always thought you two were the perfect couple," she lied and I held in a grin.

She was simply letting Mike know she was aware of his situation and would not be crossing any boundaries with him still being legally wed and all. I knew she was no more interested in him now than she had been in High School. I recalled Bella and Alice discussing the young teen Mike once.

"He's...I don't know...creepy?" Alice had said.

"That's too harsh, Alice. He's not creepy, he's just ...asexual. You don't think of Mike as a sexual being, do you?" Bella had answered.

I had snickered and felt almost sorry for Mike. For surely there could be no bigger insult than that. Jessica clearly saw him in a much better light, but I had never cared about Jess's opinion on anything. Bella's had been all I noted.

Class seemed to drag by. Lunch on the other hand, was over in a millisecond. When I was away from Bella, only my mind was free to dwell on her beauty, when we were together my eyes got to share the pleasure as well. I had to sit down and hide my erection behind my desk a couple of times when my head drifted to the things we had indulged in, in bed, and the shower session this morning.

I really tried to concentrate on the lessons I was teaching. Music theory was rarely enjoyed by the students, but I tried to make it interesting. Today I gave them a free hand to examine any popular song sheet they wanted to. Only to have to sit and listened to them drone on about the talents of My Chemical Romance and Vampire Weekend. A few of the boys rejected those bands efforts as 'not even music' so a lively debate took over and I let them work it out for them selves. Music is in the ears of the listener.

I sat down at the classroom piano and started tinkering with a tune I had started writing when Alice and I had been planning that birthday party for Bella all those years ago. I never finished it. Her un-birthday party had come too soon, and then … she was gone.

My music after that had been deeply despondent and depressing. It had taken the arrival of my brothers to pull me out of it and into the light again. Jasper had arrived and joined the family first. He had fit in seamlessly. Then right on his heels, Emmett had arrived. We three had hit it off straight away. I knew my Mom was anxious and worried they had done the wrong thing, but those two boys had saved me from descending into emo hell and had distracted me from the pain in my heart. I don't know what would have happened had they not joined the family and physically shaken me from my black moods.  
>I wished I could have helped Em more. He had come home in such a state that my little visit to depression seemed laughable in comparison. I never wanted to go where he had been.<p>

"What's that called? Who wrote it?" a girl named Bethany asked, standing beside my piano stool.

"I wrote this for the girl I fell in love with when I was about your age," I answered.

"Wow, lucky her," she replied. I was well aware Bethany had a schoolgirl crush on me, as did several of the other female students and even one of the boys.

"Do you still love her?" she asked.

"I do, " I said honestly.

"That must be a bitch for Miss Swan. She fancies you," she confided. I laughed. I could hardly confess Miss Swan was my 'one that got away', but Bella had nobody to compete against for my heart.

X~x~X

Bella wanted to unpack so I left her to it and went to talk to Alice, who I knew would be waiting all day for a report on our progress.

"Well, was it ear splittingly noisy at our house last night?" she asked as soon as I walked into her room.

"Quiet as a grave," I laughed.  
>She frowned. "Oh, you went to hers."<p>

"I did. I stayed all night in my Bella's bed. It was the best night of my life and we didn't even have full sex."

"Oh God, Edward, why the Hell not? Either of you could fall under a truck tomorrow. Do you think the other will be saying, 'Well thank God we didn't have sex because now we never will have that opportunity again and I don't care."

"Don't even joke like that. If anything happened to my Bella, I wouldn't want to go on." I said from the heart.

"Edward, what are you two waiting for? You don't have to tell anyone. It's your own business, but you need to welcome that girl home properly."

"And here's I am, thinking you might actually pat me on the back for being so restrained," I stated.

"You loved and lost her once, I worry for you two. I love Jasper and look how that's worked out. Would you have ever imagined this scenario, knowing how much Jasper and I love one another? Don't let anything tear you two apart, promise me."

"I promise you, I will do my best to keep my Bella safe, and sound, and in my arms." I swore.

It will be hard work but someone has to do it.


	8. Chapter 8

**Ah Macfaerie, thank you so much for waving your magic wand over this and making it pretty!**

The Bro Code

Chapter 8

BPOV

Alice was meant to be discharged but a slight case of jaundice in her baby delayed it another day in order for photo therapy to be done so I went to visit her straight after school. Edward had to supervise baseball practice so it was a good opportunity for us to have a girl's only chat.

She had just finished feeding Jazz and handed her over to me, before they came to take her back for more suntanning under the bili lights. She looked gorgeous, lightly golden skin, so much prettier than stark white. Her hair was straight and thick like Alice's and tended to stick up in a spiked do, which amused everyone as Alice had gone through many stages of doing this to her own hair.

"Maybe the hair gel leaked through and altered her DNA," Edward had joked.

Jazzy was as pretty as her mother and my heart ached for Jasper.

"What's her full name?" I asked Alice, fishing for information.

"I think maybe Jazlin Alyce Whitlock, what do you think?"

"That's pretty. What's Jasper's full name?" I asked casually, even though this was what I really wanted to know.

"Jasper Austin Whitlock the 3rd. Yeah, pretty impressive, right?"

I agreed and smiled at the baby.

"Is he the same age as us?"

"Yes, he is actually exactly one month younger than Edward. It's a family joke how Esme had twins, the firstborn being Edward, and Jasper forgot to follow him out until a month later. Even though they are all adopted or fostered, they truly do act like real brothers and Esme really does consider them her sons. The change in Edward when those two boys arrived was amazing. They really pulled him out of his ...shell."

"Edward was never shy, what do you mean?" I asked.

"Um, he was a bit down after you left town. He had a couple of panic attacks and we were all really worried but he got over them after the boys came. Bella, don't tell him I told you, you know how private he is."

"I don't know as much about him as I thought, but I'm starting to realise. I mean, we were together a mere month when we were fifteen and we did get close quickly but let's face it, I really barely know him at all. You went to NYU with him, what were his girlfriends like?"

"He was very casual with them, that's what I remember most. He had a lot of girls notice him and he was never short of dates but he always wanted more. He was the most keen to get into relationships. Jasper took ages to get over his whoring around and finally he noticed I existed and we got together for the last year of college."

"So, were they nice girls? Blonds, redheads, what?" I asked, getting her back on track.

"I think we can safely say Edward prefers brunettes. That Bree in particular, the first time he walked towards us with her, I thought it was you. She must have thought I was insane. Jasper and I were sitting on the bleachers, watching the football and I saw Edward drive up. Then he opened her door and she got out and I jumped up and said to Jasper. "My God, Bella's back." and I was jumping up and down on my toes as they walked up closer to us and I didn't realise until they got really close that she wasn't you. Then I felt like a moron. I'm sure I scowled and probably came across as bipolar. Ecstatic one minute, disappointed the next. It was funny, I don't think he even knew what he saw in her at the time. He never shut up about how pretty she was, and I thought maybe he finally had someone he could love. But they were not much more involved than the other three girls he's been with.

I asked him if he was in love with Bree, once, because he moved in with her and you know what he said? He said "_At least I really like her, Alice. I like her more than the other's, so that's good, right?" _How sad is that? That's as good as it got for him."

"I can relate. I liked Jake and Mick-Mack but at best all I could claim was the same. I liked them more than the other boys. I never fantasized about being married or anything. I knew that we didn't have what it took to be 'long term', even if they didn't. I'm a really bad girlfriend, Alice. I really hurt those boys and I don't want to do the same to Edward."

"Hey, it will be different this time. Have faith. You love Edward, I can see that in your eyes."

"Can it really be love this quickly? Isn't falling in love at first sight more a myth?"

"Don't even try and say that to me. The very first time Jasper walked into Forks High, I knew. I hadn't even spoken to him yet and I knew, deep in my heart, that he was the boy for me. Of course, I may as well have not existed for years. At first the three of them didn't seem to need girls, they were just this pack of crazy guys always together, always up to something. Girls really didn't come into it until NYU. Wait until you meet Emmett, he's a different specie. He has this air of respect for women that you rarely see in a man. I hate what that stupid girl did to him."

She shook her head slowly and we both looked at the door where Esme and K were walking in.

"Hey, Bella, I'm so glad you are here." K said happily and sat up beside me, peering down at the baby.

"I overheard the nurse saying she is coming to take Jazzy back in a minute, can I have a quick hold?" Esme asked and I reluctantly handed her warm little body over.

"This baby is changing my mind about having kids, I never liked them before but she is adorable and so little and helpless, it just makes me want one just like her. I can't wait to dress her up when we get her home." I said.

"Are you living with Edward and Alice now?" K asked excitedly.

"I am. My house is being ripped apart and rebuilt inside and it's going to have a great big wraparound veranda. It's going to be cool. You should come stay in my guestroom some time." I said to K.

"Can I, Mom? That would be cool."

"Let's wait and see if Bella still wants you there by then. You may talk her leg off in the mean time."

"Hey, I'll still have one leg, I can hop."

K laughed and hugged her arms around my waist. "When you and Edward get married..."

"K, that's enough. Remember what we talked about," Esme warned.

"Sorry. I can't help _knowing _they will get married."

Esme chuckled. "Well we decided you would not say things like that until they are at least engaged. Let's try and keep that promise."

"But that's ages." she moaned and I looked at her in surprise. I kind of imagined Edward and I were headed down the fast track the way we were going so far. It was was kind of shocking to know it would be ages.

I was about to ask her _when _this engagement would occur but Esme was looking at me with one of _those_ looks, so I shut it, and talked about what novels K was reading currently.

She loved the classics and was looking for Huckleberry Finn. I had a first edition, first issue from 1885 I wanted to show her, it had been a gift from Phil for one of my birthdays and I also had a cheap commercial copy to lend her to read so Esme agreed to bring her around on the weekend, after I had a chance to unpack.

I loved that an eleven year old was so interested in literature. I promised to go through my many boxes of books and sort out some books I had two or more copies of.

The nurse arrived and took the baby away so I offered to take K for a milkshake and we were chatting together over java flavored drinks when Edward found us.

"Did you go and see Alice? You know she has to stay another night?" I asked him.

"Yes, I know and I didn't get to hold the baby, they had her off somewhere under lights. I want to go have a look at least. I was looking forward to prying her from Mom's arms and having a cuddle."

"I'm sure Bella will give you a cuddle if you ask nicely." K chuckled. We both grinned at her. It got me thinking, maybe we would not be this close, already, if not for her. She was so open and happy and uninhibited, it reminded me of what I liked least about becoming an adult and learning how to hide your feelings.

Edward had a chocolate shake then we all snuck over to the room Jazzy was in and looked at her through the glass viewing window. Her eyes were bandaged to protect them from the light and she was rocking a little , arms waving, but not distressed, more amusing herself.

"She's lovely, and your baby is going to look a bit like her. Little like she is, and she'll have lots of hair like Jazzy. I'm so happy you will have a girl too. I much prefer girl babies." K babbled and Edward laughed.

"Is this a prediction or just a hope?"

"Oh it's true, I know already. But she won't be here for ages yet so Jazzy will be my favorite until then." Edward smiled and pulled me to his side, and raised an eyebrow. I slapped him and laughed.

"Seems that little waist will fit a baby inside it after all." he whispered.

I felt excited and hoped K was right. Once again, I longed to grab the child and quiz her on dates. I wanted to know when this was happening? I presumed, Edward being Edward, the baby would arrive after we were married. I myself couldn't care about which order things happened, in fact at this moment I wanted the baby more than the wedding. I had never been big on weddings and the twin shambles with Jake and Mick-Mack had not endeared matrimony to me at all.

We returned K to her Mom and left for the house. I asked Edward if I could use his laptop while he made us dinner. He wanted to show off for my first night in the house so I let him.

I logged on to my Facebook account and typed Jasper's name in the search bar.

Bingo.

Jasper Austin Whitlock, born one month after Edward Anthony Masen Cullen. Mind you, a search for Edward proved he didn't have an account there nor at My Space or any of the other social networks. Strange, but then, Edward was a private guy, maybe he didn't want the world knowing his business.

I asked Jasper to be my friend and logged off. There was little to read about him as he had set his account to private and his info was only available to his friends. I hoped he would accept me, even though he would have no clue who I was.

I wandered out to the kitchen and watched the master chef in action as he cooked up a storm. He told me to pour myself a glass of wine and relax, so I handed him one as well and went to look at the dog kennels out in the yard more closely. I really had a whole heap of maternal feelings going to waste and if K was right and it would be _ages _ until we had our little baby girl, then I needed something else to focus my feelings on. I went back inside.

"Edward, how would you feel about me having a dog?" I asked as he stirred something on the stove top.

"I'm thinking of getting one myself. Esme has finally relented and agreed K can have one , so maybe all three of us could go to the dog shelter tomorrow and have a look. We don't have to actually choose any yet but it wouldn't hurt to look and see what size or breeds we like. I want a man's dog, no little white yappy thing. Do you have any idea what you are looking for?"

"Something I don't feel embarrassed to walk. Nothing too big or too small. Nothing yappy, I agree, I don't like small designer dogs either. I want a real dog." I informed him.

I felt quite excited, it felt like I was finally getting a life of my own. I had Alice and her baby, the Cullen's, and K in particular as my friends, and of course, I sort of even had Edward to some degree and things seemed to look promising. I mean, we were getting married and having a daughter!

Edward cursed as he checked in his freezer and found he had no ice cream.

"That Alice, I should have checked, she was eating it for every meal the last week of her pregnancy. Don't even ask what she ate with it." he said, shaking his head. I volunteered to go buy some and listened as he explained exactly what brand and size and flavor he wanted.

I got a little distracted in the pet section of the little supermarket and I impulsively bought three collars and leads and a collection of brushes and combs and dog dishes, then I got the ice cream and hurried home. Edward was just serving so I sat at the table and dined on the best Chinese meal I had ever tasted.

"Okay, I suggest you do the cooking and I take care of the laundry and ironing, because you are an amazing chef."

"You are pretty good yourself. I went to classes, I quite like cooking. Esme taught us boys the basics and it made me want to learn more so I went to an evening class in NY when we were in college."

"Wow, he cooks, he washes dishes, what other talents does he have hidden away?"

"You'll find out, in time. Don't make me have to take a switch to you, some of my talents are off limits for a while yet."

He walked over and grabbed my hand and led me to the sofa in the corner of the kitchen and sat me on his lap.

"A kiss for the cook is customary," he smiled. I complied, and he tasted delicious.

"Want to have an early night? We won't get another for a few months after Jazzy comes home," he whispered in my ear and made me shiver up my spine.

"We didn't have dessert," I answered and he stroked my arm and kissed me again. "I have an idea about that. We could have dessert of a sort in bed then I could serve us something eatable later."

That sounded like an offer that I couldn't refuse.

_**X~x~X**_

Pretend sex is fine, but nothing like what I want and although it left me satisfied in one way, it just made my body really crave the entire dance. I did consider asking Edward if we could just 'do it once', seeing he had condoms here, but I probably should play the game by his rules, seeing playing it by mine had always ended in disaster.

And I had nowhere left to run to if things went as badly third time around as they had with Jake and Mick-Mack.

I had my house here and like Edward said, my job was probably fairly safe long term and I certainly didn't want us to be one of those ex-couples who are forced to work together, making snipey comments to the rest of the staff about one another, and looking the other way when they pass in the hallways.

Edward seemed to be finding it as hard as I was. Suddenly, I felt him move down my body, and the next thing I knew his face was between my thighs.

Oh, not missing out on this.

I opened my legs wider and lay back with my eyes closed as his tongue proved to be as magical as his fingers. God, how amazing must his cock be by now? Just thinking about it brought me over the brink and I felt him smile against me in victory. Men are always so pleased with themselves when they manage this trick.

"You taste rather awesome." he whispered as he climbed back up and nuzzled my neck.

"You seem to know just how to pull off that manoeuvre." I laughed.

"Believe it or not, I haven't ever done that with anyone else but you."

"Really? Then you certainly have retained your touch, that was amazing. Damn, it just makes me want you deep inside me, pounding the living daylights out of me. Are you sure we can't..."

"Bella, once I enter your body in that way, I will fall so hard I will never recover. I can't risk it."

"But even if we wait and have the usual three dates or however many you demand, and even if we got married, nothing is sure. Nothing is written in stone. Anything could happen and you would be thinking back saying 'if only we had been fucking one another hard and properly from the start, we would have fucked a whole lot more. Waiting was a bad idea, and now I regret it SOOO much." He looked at me with a raised brow, "It could go down like that." I snarked at him.

"Stop talking," he breathed out. "And don't say 'fucking hard', because that is what I am living to do to you."

"Then just do it. You know you want to. If we are going to be a couple it will happen whether we stick to teenage games or go at it like adults our age usually do."

Edward sat up and grabbed a condom and handed it to me.

"Fine. You decide. You put that on me if that's what you really think we should do."

Maybe he imagined I was a better person than I am. Maybe he really thought I had grown some self restraint over time.

He was wrong.

I put the condom in place and stroked along his shaft until he moaned and threw me onto my back and pushed inside, all the way, in a single stroke.

"God yes" I called in glee. I bucked back against him and it was on. He withdrew and thrust in hard, again. I arched my back and took it. There it was, long, hard fucking.

So awesome.

So much better than hands and even mouths. This is what made being an adult worth it. This is what drew the line between the first timers and 'new to fucking' teens, and experienced adults.

"One" he said as my body fluttered hard against him, and he made no effort to stop and let me recover or even slow down.

I gasped a little at feeling so raw and overwhelmed, but he kept thrusting and gradually it passed and I arched against him again and bucked back.

"Two," he smirked, as I felt myself implode, and my heart raced out of control. Shit, how many was his goal? Would I survive?

"God, Edward, just wait, let me..."

"Nope, you wanted a hard fuck, this is a hard fuck."

"But I just need to recover..."

"Sorry. Can't handle it, Swan? You . Should . Be . Careful . What . You . Wish . For." he stated, between thrusts and I gave up and let him pound me to my third and final orgasm.

"Three. Now feel this," he warned and increased his pace so much I could only lie there and feel how hard he was, and then he exploded and gripped my hips so I took the brunt of his throbbing inside me.

"Faaaarrrrkk," I managed to sigh and he smiled slyly as he moved more gently and rode it out.

Then he finally withdrew, and lay beside me, tossing the condom into his bedside trashcan. He grinned widely and reached to stroke my forehead.

"Was that what you had in mind?" he asked happily.

"Fuck me, no, don't, I just meant it as an expression. Somebody taught you well."

He considered. "I'm going to give the credit to Tanya, she liked it rough."

"How long were you with her?" I asked.

He shrugged. "A few months."

"Yet she can still walk?" I said in awe of her super powers.

"To be fair, she has had six months to recover," he gloated.

Edward ran a bath and I limped into the bathroom and lowered myself into the hot water, and cringed at the stinging that proved he had truly done well. I think I was probably grazed inside and red raw. I guess it will teach me to think before I speak next time.

I mean, it had been a long time and parts of me were out of practise. To be honest, no part of me had ever experienced anything like that before.

I lay there with my eyes closed and wondered if I should see a doctor, then realized that would be Carlisle and he would probably go High Five his son after he inspected his handiwork.

"Are you okay?" Edward asked, leaning against the doorframe.

"Pfft. Of course. I've had better." I replied.

"Really. I find that hard to believe."

"Okay, I've fantasized about it being half that good." I admitted, keeping my eyes shut so I didn't have to see his smirking grin.

"I hope I didn't hurt you, I got a little carried away. You stirred me up." he said, pushing the blame onto me. Where it belonged.

"It's fine. Come back next year and do it again, I may be able to stand up again by then."

"Oh I don't need you to be able to stand up," he grinned.

I grabbed blindly for something to throw and encountered a bottle of shampoo at threw it at him and he caught it, then knelt beside the bath tub.

"Can I wash you hair, please?"

I nodded and sat up and he slid into the water behind me and washed my hair, then piled it on top of my head covered in conditioner and washed my breasts while he waited.

His lips nuzzled my neck and he kissed my face and back and made me buzz all over.

Finally he rinsed my hair out and emptied the bath.

"Help me out, I can't stand, remember," I mock growled and he lifted me into his arms and carried me back to the scene of the crime, then laid me down on the bed.

He dried my skin and wrapped my hair in a turban towel then went to his drawer and came back with some tube of liniment and coated his finger in white cream, and eased my legs apart. It felt good, cool, as he inserted his finger inside and carefully coated my stinging walls, then he leant and kissed my mound.

"No bleeding, no tears, you live to fuck another day," he announced.

"So, you are so good you need to keep a First Aid kit beside your bed," I said in wonder.

"Actually, I have never let any woman into my bed, I have always gone to theirs. Tanya used this cream, I figured one day I might just need to soothe somebody who taunted me into giving her a good hard fucking, so I bought some. Clearly I am psychic."

He lay down beside me, gathering me into his arms and hid his face in my neck.

"Bella, I meant what I said. I know that was hardly romantic love making but once I entered your body, you held my heart in your hands. Please look after it."

"I will, I promise. Now we can look back and say our second first time was really memorable," I quipped.

He held onto me tightly. It made me realized how intense his feelings were and how scared he was. It was like holding a scared little boy. He was hardly that, he had just proved how much of a man he could be, but I knew from now on I had to tread really carefully with him and not be reckless with his feelings.


	9. Chapter 9

**Thank you, Macfaerie as always. Leave her some love for finding the time despite her real life to beta my mess, please.**

The Bro Code

Chapter 9

EPOV

I was waiting for it and when Bella stirred in my embrace and rolled to face away from me,

I understood. She was trying to keep a little distance between us and that was okay. She

needed breathing space and it also explained her request for us to 'fuck' rather than make love.

I know we had both been frustrated and needed to just do it and get it done and out of the way,

but I also knew she hadn't been ready for soft touches and open eyes and tender love making

with no holding back on our emotions.

I had done as she asked, and I was still doing that by letting her turn her body away from me in

the aftermath. I spooned her and kept a little distance between us. I kissed her back, just once

as we settled down to sleep.

How did I read her so well?

In all my attempts to make something real between myself and my other sexual partners, I had

always had a problem with the cuddling afterwards. I knew it had to be done or we wouldn't

develop a sense of intimacy but even lying with those girls for ten minutes, embracing them and

assuring them it wasn't just sex, had been an endurance test that I gave myself a score for.

Once the clock showed I had reached my ten minutes, I would get up and use the bathroom, get

drinks for us, lay back down with my arm nearest them under my head and the next time I would

stay longer.

Fifteen minutes.

Twenty minutes.

I couldn't cope with staying all night, but I had stayed long enough to make sure they knew I

wanted to be there after. No matter how slightly untrue it sometimes was.

It was easier with some, harder with others. It was so easy with Tanya, because she had her

rules. No cuddling afterwards. No staying in her bed once she was done. If you were lucky

you got two minutes to get your breath back then she would push at your legs, so I jetted out

from under the covers and headed for the floor.

Subtle.

Then it was 'Coffee. Two sugars, black'. I would make it for her, bring it to her, and then use

her shower, alone, dress and leave. No Goodbye kiss, no promise to be back, unless she said

something, like "Tuesday night. 10 pm." Like a drill Sergeant, "This is your next assignment, be

there."

No phone calls.

No looks between us at school.

No signs anyone could interpret.

Different.

With the others it had been harder, except when it came to Bree, she was the easiest next to

Tanya. Her long brown hair and habit of turning away allowed me a little game of pretending. I

would just keep a hold on her body and lay behind her, remembering and pretending, until the

illusion was shattered, usually by her scent.

You may fool your eyes in the half light and be able to change certain things and pretend they

were otherwise but you can't fool your sense of smell and while she always smelt nice, clean,

and fresh, she also smelt kind of 'woodsy', like leaves and outdoors, but never like fresh flower

petals.

Nobody ever smelled like flower petals.

Now I lay and breathed in Bella's elusive scent and my heart rejoiced. There they were. There

was the aroma my body had always craved. I let her sleep, and I even slept and my dreams

were so vivid and real I hoped I wasn't speaking out loud.

I woke with a start. Bella had turned and was frowning slightly, her lip caught between her

teeth.

"You do what?" she asked, a worried smile forming.

"I do what?"

"You said, 'I do', in your sleep. You 'do' what?"

I laughed and felt myself blush and shook my head in chagrin.

"I dunno, I do love you being here with me? I do love your body? I do have plans for us before

we have to get up?" I jumped from the bed and pulled her out with me. "I do, and you do, need a

shower," I stated, pushing her towards the bathroom.

She paused and tied her hair up in a knot thing, so it sat on top of her head and I quickly

stripped off the sheets and remade the bed with fresh linen, then went and turned on the

shower, and stepped inside. I put a hand out and helped her in with me and washed her body

clean.

New morning, new start.

We had done the first step, we had kept a little distance and now we were doing things my way.

No more evading, no more pretending. I wasn't rushing her into anything but I needed to redraw

the boundaries, and not let us walk out of that bedroom as fuck-buddies. That would not be

happening.

Not an option.

Bella attempted to seduce me, pulling my body close to hers as the water cascaded down and

hit her breasts and sprayed off them onto me. God, she was tempting and beautiful and up for

anything, but this was not the anything I wanted. I could easily just push into her here, against

the tiles as she was offering, but no.

This would be my way.

I faced her and leaned in to kiss her as my hand snaked behind her back and turned off the

water. Her eyes widened in surprise, and she looked a little hurt that I had not taken what she

had clearly offered.

"Let me dry you," I said, and grabbed a towel to pat her body dry.

Keeping eye contact as she half smiled, confused. I showed, by my touch, that I wasn't turning

her away, but I wasn't settling for unconnected sex again, either.

Love my way.

I led her back to my bed and lay her down and hovered above her, kissing her face, watching

her eyes. She smiled but looked slightly panicked. Yes, Baby, I want the Real Thing. I want to

make love. I've reclaimed your body and been inside you. Now it's time we connect on a whole

other level.

I brushed her hair from her face and loosened the knot so it tumbled and spread out on my pillow.

Petals.

The aroma wafted up and I took a deep breath.

"Bella, I love you. I need to do this, please let me in."

She smiled uncertainly. She knew it wasn't her body I was asking permission to enter. She

clutched at the sheet covering us both and nodded, biting that poor tortured lip and I leaned

down and pulled it free and massaged it with my on lips.

I felt her stiffen, trying fight me, just a hint of resistance. I kept eye contact and she gave in. Her

body relaxed and I moved letting us touch lightly from toes to foreheads. My fingers stroked her

skin, caressing her, discovering every inch, calming her fears. I made no attempt to enter her

warmth until she was completely involved, and her own hands were touching me, stroking my

back, allowing us to connect.

"I. Love. You." I repeated and only then nudged her legs apart.

She opened them willingly and she tried to close her eyes, so I kissed the lids and paused,

keeping my body out of hers. She frowned and opened her eyes.

"I. Love. You," I repeated again.

"I love you, Edward," she whispered, quickly, like pulling off a Band Aid.

Not good enough.

"Don't say it if you don't mean it. You promised."

She stared into my eyes and saw the love, that was a given, it was always there, on display.

She also saw my determination and patience.

"I love you," she said smiling, a little.

"I love you, too, Baby," I replied.

It was like stripping away layers of paint. Like she had many layers coating her and she was

afraid to let them be stripped off her and expose the beauty of the natural, raw state.

I rested my forehead on hers for a minute and pushed inside her body, gently, like in worship. It

needed to be slow, and gentle and she responded in kind, gently. Inviting me in, but not rushing

me. No resistance but no arching. No forcing my hand. I regained eye contact again as I slid

fully inside her.

"I love you," she said, smiling properly now.

"As I love you," I replied.

She started to rock with me, slowly, and I relaxed. This was what I would remember, not last

nights little display of animalistic coupling. This felt so pure, so real so how I needed it to be and

she was allowing it. Welcoming it. Accepting it.

We rocked together and I felt her slowly awakening around me. I wanted more but it had to

remain like this. Slow. Tender.

She settled down again and kissed my face. She offered her throat to my lips, and I kissed all

the spots I could reach then we gazed back into one another's eyes as we eased over the edge

together. I slowed, and kept inside her for a few long minutes and she didn't break her eyes

away from mine. I lay beside her and pulled her into my arms and she melded her body against

mine, not trying to turn from me this time.

"You are mine, and I am home," I murmured.

She smiled. "I am yours."

We had things to do, Alice to collect, but I needed to stay here a little longer and she drifted off

to sleep and I held her close and watched her face as she slept. She was mine, in a way she

had never been before and it was real and strong and something to build on.

Her hands sought my chest and she moved her head and lay on me as if I was her pillow and I

stroked her back in feather-light touches as she slept.

"Edward," she breathed.

I waited. It would come.

"Edward. I love you." There. Truth.

I guess I drifted off as well. We were both awoken by the sound of slamming car doors and my

Mom's voice.

"Well, his car is here. I can't believe he forgot to go collect you and Jazzy. That boy's head is in

the clouds lately. Give me the front door key, you get the baby out of her seat."

I nudged Bella gently and she opened her eyes. "You may want to get in the shower. We have

company."

She looked like a deer in the headlights and bolted for the bathroom.

I pulled on my boxers, jeans and t-shirt from the floor. After shutting my bedroom door behind

me, I walked down the stairs, just in time to see the two women and baby entering the sitting

room. I kissed each cheek offered and then went to get Alice's bags from the car.

"Where were you? Alice told you she was being discharged at 10:00 am," my mom said.

"Sorry, I slept in, tiring night."

Alice grinned knowingly and carried Jazzy to the rocking cradle I had set up out here for when

she needed company.

"May I hold her?" I asked as Alice lay her down.

Mom headed for the kitchen and put some water on to boil.

Alice grinned at me. "Not until you shower that aroma off you. I can see you were too busy to

even think of us."

"Sorry Alice."

"Don't be, I'm glad you two finally connected."

"She's been back in town barely five minutes," I defended.

Bella took that moment to walk in dressed, smiling, and looking at me, not Alice. I smiled

back. This was what I wanted, needed. That connection, I'd never had with anyone else

before. I walked straight to her and touched her face, turning her chin, and kissing her lips.

Gently. Lovingly.

She returned my kiss and made no attempt to hide what we now were in front of company.

Esme stood in the doorway and I heard her sharp intake of air. I let Bella's lips go, pecked them

lightly then took her hand in mine.

"Bella, how nice to see you," my mom said, smiling hugely.

"Good morning, Esme," my Bella replied, drawing closer to my side. She hated being apart as

much as I did.

"I, uh, should take a shower," I said, glaring at Alice who stifled a laugh.

"Be back soon," Bella said and kissed me again. I walked away reluctantly, dropping her hand at

the last possible minute.

On my way up the stairs I heard Alice squeak, "My God, it's like High School all over again."

"Oh no, it's a lot more than that," Bella replied, a hint of wonder in her voice. She couldn't

possibly be surprised, she knew what would happen.

Upon my return down stairs, I found a cup of coffee waiting for me on the table and our chairs

were touching. I sat down and stretched my legs out under the table putting an arm around my

girl. Bella rested her head on my shoulder and my Mom smiled so widely I feared her mouth

might split.

"You didn't...you would tell us before you got married or anything?" she checked.

"What a good idea," I teased, taking Bella's left hand in my own, stroking her third finger.

I was going to marry this girl, in our own good time. We were where we needed to be now and

there was no reason to rush and start rumors and have people start counting the months on

their fingers. All that would happen, the wedding, the baby. The new plaything for K.

"Where is K?" I asked. It was strange her not being here.

"She was going to come with me but she said she might see something she was too young to

witness." I laughed.

Sometimes I think my entire family is crazy. Esme had slammed that car door loudly enough to

wake the dead. Though, had we been lost in a 'moment', I guess they could have walked in on

us.

"You haven't forgotten you are taking her to the shelter today? To choose her dog?"

"Of course not," Bella replied.

Okay, I had forgotten. My head only seemed to have room for Bella today. I drained my cup

and stood up, pulling Bella up with me.

"See you later. Be prepared, I can't imagine Bella will be able to resist any of them. We'll

probably come home with a dozen dogs, so don't start complaining when they bark all night and

keep the baby awake."

When we pulled up K was waiting, the lead and collar Bella bought her in her hands. She

jumped in the backseat eagerly.

"We don't have to choose today, we can just look," I said, knowing my words were falling on

deaf ears. We would be coming home with two mutts in the car, of that I had no doubt.

I was wrong.

I underestimated the paternal feelings swelling inside me. Every dog seemed so appealing. I

knew I was only seeing them as a stop gap until we had a baby, but who knows when Bella

would be ready for that step? I walked from cage to cage and tried to think with my brain and

not my heart.

Male dog, nothing sissy, strong and muscular, don't look at any others.

Bella was helping K, telling her a little about certain breeds as they saw dog after dog that

appealed to them.

"No, these need a lot of exercise. You want something easier, more content to run about the

yard until you get home from school and walk it on the beach. No, that one's way too jumpy.

You want happy and eager but not hyper. This one's good. It's a Spaniel. Not too much

brushing needed."

They short listed four medium sized dogs and Bella questioned the kennel master at length and

the Spaniel won. She was three years old, healthy, spayed, no ear problems, and only in here

because her owner had been transferred overseas.

She had been around kids all her life, and was used to being alone during the day. She ate

well, didn't jump up, was lead trained and housebroken. I marveled at Bella's refusal to let

herself get emotionally involved before she had all the facts.

"Alright, K is settled. Matilda is has been adopted. Now, which one of these beauties comes

home with us?"

I pointed out a couple of males I liked, short coats, medium sized, neutered, obviously sensible

choices.

Bella bit her lip and nodded and kept walking and suddenly her whole demeanor changed. "Oh

God, Edward, look."

I looked.

It was a large dog imitating a bale of hay, black and white, hairy beyond hairy. No eyes?

"All that hair would be a lot of work, hours of brushing," I cautioned but I knew already there

was no stopping her. Practical Bella had left the building.

"What's her name?" she asked the kennel master.

I snorted.

"What's her name? Don't you mean, what's her health record like? Is she spayed? Is she

trained?"

"Eddwwwaarrdd. She's beautiful. She's perfect. I can train her."

I shook my head and gave up. Welcome to the family, Shaggy.

"Her name is Izzy and she is trained. She was a Show-dog but at adulthood she showed some

faults. Too short in the legs. Coat is badly flashed, see that patch of white? Her entire back

should be black. She's been spayed so can't be bred from, not good enough stock."

"Shhh, don't hurt her feelings," Bella replied and I knew the war was lost.

"There's a problem," the man cautioned and I waited. It looked healthy enough and was barely

managing to stay or sit, it was so keen to be in Bella's arms, but over all it was behaving. Well

trained for sure.

"Her owner died. There are two dogs for adoption and the family doesn't want them

split. They've been together from the age of eight weeks."

Oh.

Maybe her companion was something manly and masculine. I was still interested in a dog for

myself. And these two already got along together.

"Which is the other dog?" I asked. I already knew I was probably taking it even if it was some

yappy Poodle/Maltese/Shih Tzu, just so Bella got her dog. Please don't be a Chihuahua.

It wasn't. She was a large and has a golden coat, her hair as long as Bella's own choice. Her

coat was soft and silky but it was the eyes that did me in. I never expected to encounter

another set of brown eyes that drew me in and made me feel like this. The dog had a soul.

"What's her name?" I asked, resigned.

"Dollybird."

Oh, wonderful. I can't wait to be yelling that out in public.

"Sign us up," I said and Bella swooped in and threw her arms around my waist. I chuckled and

kissed the top of her head.

"I just want you to be happy," I said and she smiled and took my hand.

"Thank you, Edward. I'll brush them both and walk them together. You don't have to worry

about anything."

"I'll brush ... Dolly ... God, is there a nickname, like Butch or Killer that she would answer to?"

Bella laughed.

"Most dogs will answer to just about anything. If you change her name, just say the new name

each time you feed her and she will associate the name with pleasure and answer to it."

That was good to know.

Esme loved Matilda and raised an eyebrow at our choices.

"This is Izzy and this is...Holly," I decided. It was near to Dolly, maybe the dog wouldn't notice

the switch.

"Okay, if this is your idea of a masculine dog, we need to have a chat," Alice laughed.

"Shut it. Like you didn't see this happening."

"She's lovely, Edward. She'll be sleeping on the end of your bed in no time." I started at that.

I intended sharing my bed with Bella, not a dog. We had kennels, nice big strong warm

kennels. Dogs sleep in kennels.

The girls laughed at my face and I took both leads and took our new companions down to

introduce them to their new homes.

"This is your kennel, Izzy. This is yours, Holly. Now, I will leave the gate between the two open

so you can visit, seeing you are used to being together. This will be great, right? You won't

want to sleep inside that stuffy house with all the crying baby noise, and mess and all that,

right?" I can't say if they agreed but I took off their collars and let them explore the yard together,

while we made and ate lunch.

Jazzy was crying by the time we finished and all three dogs ran up and looked through the wire

security door.

"She's fine, girls. I'm looking after her. Babies cry sometimes," Alice explained, holding Jazzy

and letting the dogs look at her through the screen.

Once the baby was settled for a feed, the hairy babysitters left and resumed checking for

escape routes under the fences.

'Well, K, we should take Matilda home and show her to your father and see if she is allowed to

be a house dog. I think he'll melt when he sees those big eyes."

Alice snorted and looked straight at me, smirking. "Shut it."

"Holly has eyes just like Bella."

Bella looked at me and I smiled and took her hand. "Don't worry, love. You'll always have first

place in my heart."

The girls all settled in well and I was pleased to prove Alice wrong. Holly and Izzy were

perfectly happy outside, but Bella threw me a curve ball.

I assumed now we were a couple, she would move into my room, even if she left most of her

clothes and possessions in the other bedroom.

"Hey, I'm happy to sleep in here some nights, and you can sleep in my room as well, whenever

you want, but I need some small token of independence. I need my own room. Maybe in time

that will change, but please try and understand Edward, I'm so intensely involved with you. I

need one little degree of separation. I need to keep a sense of myself as an individual. I could

get so lost in us there would be no turning back."

"There is no turning back, I thought you understood that."

"Edward, we have to stand the test of time. This is too crazy. We haven't seen each other for

years. We can't move too fast. I'm happy with exclusivity, and admitting I do love you, but give

me just a smidgen of space and let me accept I don't need it any more in my own time, okay?"

I shrugged but agreed.

Most nights she slept in my bed. Some nights I slept in hers. Occasionally we slept alone, in our

own rooms. I didn't like those nights and always volunteered for baby duty when they occurred

seeing I wouldn't sleep anyway. Some nights Bella was on call for Jazzy and some nights the

baby slept through. It worried me slightly that my girl was holding back that few per cent but

Rome wasn't built in a day and her absences were fewer as time moved on.

It seemed sometimes she felt overwhelmed and God knows I didn't want her to ever feel

smothered. So if I picked up it was one of those days, I suggested a night off myself, so it wasn't

always her having to be the one refusing to come to my bed. She explained when she had

her period she preferred to sleep alone and I accepted that, not having experienced that pain

or those cramps myself. She did however let me massage her belly and kiss her goodnight in

her bed before coming back to my own. And the other nights she slept alone were rare and

becoming even rarer. We were getting there, in our own speeds. I couldn't push her to catch up

with my pace, I had to just accept my girl was not 100% ready to lose herself in our relationship.

It was probably healthier. We both needed to keep a sense of self.

"Come on, let's take the dogs to the beach," I suggested. "We can collect K and Matilda on the

way. I'll call her."

Alice was curled up asleep in her bed and I checked Jazzy was fine, just sleeping and closed

their bedroom door. The baby slept better in the same room as Alice, but like Bella, she had

her own bedroom as well. While I sat watching the dogs and the girls running in and out of the

water's edge, I called Jenks.

How hard can it be to find Jasper? This was ridiculous and his daughter would be walking and

talking and he wouldn't know she even existed.

"Edward, what can I say? It's as if he has disappeared. I've been to his home town. He took

his mother out of rehab and closed the house up and that's the last anyone saw of them. The

only single lead is a neighbor said he was going to find Maria. I can't find out who Maria is, do

you know?"

I grit my teeth. I knew.

I gave Jenks her last known-to-me details and tugged on my hair. Damn Jasper. What the fuck

was he even thinking? Why would he be going back to Maria? That woman was trouble and

he knew that. She would stop at nothing to get him back if it suited her. Although Jasper knew

better, she assumed they were soul mates but she also assumed that meant she could treat him

as badly as she liked and he would always be there, waiting for him to come back to her. He

had sworn to never do that again when he started things with Alice.

I disconnected and walked down to where K and Bella were trying to build a sandcastle. The

dogs were confused by this pastime and were all digging madly, making the castle collapse, to

the amusement of the girls. They didn't see me coming, with their backs turned to me so they

faced the ocean. Both knew how quickly the waves could change, from little white peaks to

enormous strong tidal waves almost, so both knew better than to ever sit facing away from the

shore. Bella was speaking to K and I paused to listen. She sounded so intense.

"But I don't understand. Why not now? You are only a child, you don't realize how important

what you see is to me. I want to trust the universe and just marry him now. Why can't that

happen?"

"It's not the right time," my sister droned in a weirdly flat tone. "There's something big that has

to challenge you both first. Something you have to work through. It's all about family. One

family member will be the problem and one family member will be the solution. But it's

something you and Edward have to solve together. Then it will be fine," she said, chirpily, back

to herself again.

I coughed and let them know I was there and sent my little sister on a wild goose chase to get

something I knew wasn't even there, from my car.

"Bella, tell me you aren't taking relationship advice from an eleven year old?"

"She knows things. I tried to book us into Snowbird Lodge for our wedding reception and guess

what? They don't do weddings any more. I told Esme and K said 'oh, they will, when the time

is right. It doesn't matter who you try and book with, there will be problems until the time is

right."

"Surely that's just a coincidence. Snowbird Lodge would not shut down its business just to

avoid our wedding."

"No, but I've tried eleven places. Some claim to be booked out for five years. I mean here, in

Forks? Maybe I could believe it in New York, but in this area? How many people get married?

They all say they are diversifying and holding business conferences and retreats and school

camp groups. What the Hell is going on? I really feel like we can't get married at the moment,

she's right."

"We could just go to a registry office? Or go to Las Vegas and do a drive through. They never

close or diversify."

"Do you know how many times I plan to get married? Once. And it will be beautiful and perfect

and not done by an Elvis impersonator. You and Alice say you saw my dress already, did you

notice if I was sitting in the passenger seat of the Volvo wearing it?"

"No, you weren't. You were walking down a proper aisle, to me. Let me try a few places."

I hugged her in and kissed her head and she rubbed her cold hands on my chest and made me

flinch.

"Can I stop pretending to look for your camera you know isn't in your car yet?" K called out.

Bella and I laughed.

"Don't lose faith, Bella. We are getting married. I didn't know you had even been trying to book

us a venue."

"I want us to get married. Never doubt that."

"Think about it. Was my dress summery or warmer for winter?"

"Summery," I replied, recalling it's lack of shoulder straps even.

"See, it's not happening for ages. K is right."

"We'll see. She has to be wrong about something some time."

"Don't say that. At least she sees it will happen, one day. I have that to cling to."

We ran the dogs for another hour then went home and returned K to my parents, along with

a very wet and sandy Matilda. The car needed a thorough vacuuming and I was cleaning

it while Bella walked about holding Jazzy. Alice was taking a shower and washing her hair.

To be honest I was avoiding her. I didn't want her to know anything about Jasper's strange

behavior. Why would he take his Mom out of rehab in the first place?

Bella came out and let me listen to the call she had taken on her cell. Clearly this was what she

intended.

"Okay, Mom. I will come home for six weeks of my break but I really don't think it's necessary.

Of course I miss you. And I do want to spend time with you, Charlie, and Rose. Fine. Let it go, I

agreed already. Bye."

"You heard? My parents want me to visit them next vacation. They have apparently forgotten

what I look like and I never call. But, all the same, I'm thinking, once we do get married it will

only ever be weekend visits so maybe this is a good idea."

"Six weeks? How could I last six weeks without you?" I asked.

"Edward, that's nothing, compared to forever."

I volunteered to take Jazzy out for a walk in her stroller and Bella opened her laptop as I

dressed the baby warmly in outdoor clothes. Bella frowned and shut down again.

"Just checking Facebook," she said, in answer to my look. Obviously she hadn't liked what she

saw there.

We took Jazzy around down the street to the playground. I was waiting, something was clearly

on my Bella's mind.

"Just say it out loud," I suggested.

"I found Jasper on Facebook. He accepted my friend request. His info says he's in a

relationship with someone named Maria."

**This story updates after being through the process of being beta'd so it is irregular, it depends when Macfaerie has the time. I'm really grateful to the subtle improvements she makes. You all know I tend to be 'slightly' raw and rough left alone. LOL. Please review.**


	10. Chapter 10

**This is the un-beta'd version. Expect typo's. I think Macfaerie has deserted me, I'll replace it with her version if/when she sends it to me.**

The Bro Code

Chapter 10

_Hey Jasper, Thanks for accepting me as your friend. I know you have no idea who I am but my name is Bella, obviously, and I live with your brother and Alice. Well, I "live" live with your brother and Alice lives in the same house with us. I am hoping to get to meet you one day and just thought this might be a nice way for us to get to know one another. Let's see, what should I be telling you about myself. I'm single but your brother is determined to change that soon,lol, and I have a dog. She's a sheepdog named Izzy. I actually adopted her about seven months ago when I moved here and your little sister K adopted her own dog, Matilda, the same day._

_I teach at Forks High, though honestly so many days I think the students teach me more than I teach them!_

_CC is a complete sucker for that dog and it sleeps inside, on that fancy sofa in the main sitting room. I know, I can't believe it either. Chinese silk tapestry and all, yet he lets the dog on it. Esme used to have a fit and suggest she make a slip cover but CC said he can always buy another sofa!_

_He's so cute with the dog, and with K. You would laugh, seeing him come home and be greeted by the hairy little spaniel and he doesn't even get changed out of his suit before he rolls on the floor with Tilly. Honestly, the males in your family are all 'younger' at heart than K._

_We eat dinner at CC and Esme's a few nights each week . Your Mom is hoping you will come back soon, for a visit at least. CC misses you a lot too. _

_I won't pass on your brother's news, I'm sure he would rather tell you his own stuff himself, but anyway, nice to meet you, and maybe we will meet in person soon. _

_Bella_

_P.S. I'm off to my parents house in Jacksonville for six weeks shortly so if you visit before I get back, well, I guess I'll see you sometime. Tell me about yourself._

I read over my message a few times and changed small details. I wasn't sure what to say and for the first few messages, if Jasper replied, I should probably stick to light hearted topics and nothing too personal and Edward could always take a giant leap of faith and join Facebook too now he knew Jasper was on it.

The dogs provided a way to chat but keep a distance and just the occasional reminder to Jasper that had a family here, waiting for him, in K and his parents, was as far as I thought I should go.

Alice's news about Jazzy was not mine to tell.

I'd deliberately mentioned Alice to open up that topic if he chose to go there.

Maybe if he asked me directly how Alice was, I could let her read our exchanges and dictate what she wanted me to say to him.

I hit 'send' and closed the laptop. Edward knew I planned to try and engage with Jasper and he had said he trusted me not to spill any beans and to keep things on a surface level for now.

I had my own worries.

Edward was trying his best to be patient with me and I knew he needed that other tiny percentage from me and I had to grow a set and hand myself over to him, fully, without any reservations.

It's not him I don't trust, it's not even me. It's the blasted universe and karma and I feel like I have this cosmic debt to pay back for past messes and I shudder at how that payment will be made. What it will cost me. What it will cost Edward.

He's so darn perfect and I don't want to jeopardize anything between us so I have to face my fears and get over this final hurdle.

K has warned me repeatedly that there is going to be a speed bump to weather before we can get on with the rest of our lives and I guess I need to be fully committed to Edward before that happens.

I just wonder what form this speed bump will take.

I can't imagine anything that could tear us apart so it must be minor, I keep telling myself.

We WILL get married, we WILL have a baby, K assures me of all that. It's just the waiting for the other shoe to drop that's doing my head in.

Both families are going to be involved, so she says.

I can't see the connection between Charlie and Renee and Rose in Florida, and CC and Esme and Edward and K here.

It can't be anything involving Jasper or the other brother, I don't even know them yet. Surely it can't be them.

God, what if I just lit the fuse? What if the message on Facebook is somehow the detonator that starts shit flying? What if Rose once slept with Jasper on his travels or, or...

I just can't think of any other scenario.

But that wouldn't stop Edward and I getting married. He would never hold her actions against me.

I had asked Rose for a list of all her conquests anyway and she promised to send them to me, without intimate details, though she had offered to describe each encounter if I preferred. I happily ticked the "Don't Require TMI " box and elected just for the names.

Renee had probably had affairs in her past but surely not with CC. I wouldn't believe that . Of him.

Of her, maybe.

Sure.

There had been men now and then, before she ran off with Phil. Maybe Charlie had an affair somewhere along the line.

Nah.

Too far fetched.

He just sat around hoping Renee would come back.

What else could it be?

"Honey, I'm home."

Edward shut the door behind him and I went downstairs and found myself firmly encased in his arms.

This is the very best place in the world to be, wrapped in this man's arms.

"How is your day off so far? Did you lay about and do lazy things?" he asked.

My classes had just happened to be cancelled due to Interschool Sports Day and I had begged out of sitting in the mediocre sun watching the students doing their sporty stuff.

Yeah, gym and sports in general never interested me and watching was almost as bad as doing.

"I scrubbed out the fridge, I washed all the windows. I swept the floors and got rid of a ton and a half of dog hair from the carpet and furniture. I helped Alice bag up all the tiny clothes that no longer fit Jazzy. I now have to go shopping with her after lunch to replace said garments."

"Oh, lucky you. I know how you love to shop."

"Be quiet and kiss me or I will tell Alice you want to come with us."

His lips were on mine faster than the speed of light.

I may hate shopping with Alice but Edward really despises traipsing from store to store, and I guess at least it's baby clothes. Not her using me as a damned fashion doll.

"I told her only baby shops, no veering off track to play dress up Barbie's with Bella, and she agreed," I informed him when he stopped kissing me and I could breathe again.

I led him to the table and handed over his lunch, and sat beside him, eating with him.

"No Alice? No Jazzy?" he asked.

"Both asleep, gaining energy to survive the shopping trip," I explained.

"Are you going to Port Angeles?" he asked and I nodded.

"There is that lingerie store right near that big baby shop," he said and raised an eyebrow.

"There is? I hadn't noticed," I teased.

"I believe Mike told me they just got in some really special ladies panties," he grinned.

"And it is going to be your birthday quite soon," I played along.

"And I would really like a Bella in a pair of special panties for my gift," he whispered. "The feeling of the lace between us, dragging against my..."

"Edward, shouldn't you be at your Sports day thing?," Alice asked, coming to grab a cup of coffee and sitting opposite us at the table.

"I am allowed time off for lunch. It's not a prison," he answered her.

"I don't suppose you could take the afternoon off and mind Jazzy?"

"Sorry, but me being the Coach and all. I really _have _to turn up."

"Okay. That's fine. Esme is off getting her hair tizzied up, and arranging caterers for their anniversary dinner party. I guess we are stuck with the little monster ourselves, Bella."

"Jazzy is an angel, not a monster," I answered."I can't wait to have a little cousin for her to play with."

"We should go upstairs and have a practice," Edward said, looking at his watch.

Alice grinned. "I can't even imagine you as a 3 minute man."

"More like three hour man," I smirked. Edward liked to do things 'properly' and that meant long sessions of intensely awesome passionate love making, and cuddling afterwards. Even if I felt off and wanted to slip back into my room after, he always wanted the minimum hour with us wrapped in each others arms when the love making ended.

I know he always tried to sing me to sleep so I would stay the whole night with him and mainly I did do that, just sometimes I needed space.

He smiled at me and raised my hand to his lips.

"I will be your three hour man tonight and every night until you cruelly desert me to go home and visit your folks."

"Edward, you do know I am never going last the whole six weeks? I'm betting six days. By then watching Charlie and Renee making out will cause me to be intensely nauseated and I shall sneak away in the night and come home to you."

"You had better or I will come and kidnap you."

"Good, I will be counting on that!"

"Okay, let's get this show on the road," Alice said, quickly feeding a half awake Jazzy. This baby was so efficient at breastfeeding, the whole thing, both sides, took less than five minutes. She was plump and beautiful and well within her normal weight range for her age and height, so she must be getting all she needs. She's just a superbaby when it comes to breastfeeding.

I walked Edward to the door and he planted a long kiss on my lips before I pushed him out and waved him off.

God, I love this man so much it hurts.

"Come along, the sooner we leave, the sooner you can have your epiphany," Alice said, walking past me to strap Jazzy into the carseat.

"What?" I asked her.

"Bella, get in the car and just go with it."

You can't argue with Alice. Well, you can but you won't win.

"Okay," she said, starting the engine. "Review your life so far and get on with it."

"My whole life?" I queried.

"Nah, start with the two engagements."

"Do I have to say it out loud?"

"No, God no, just review it in your head. Like you are narrating a video diary. Or talking to a shrink. Let it all out, and be honest. It will help with what happens today."

I complied.

So, where to begin. Oh, the engagements.

Yes, I have been engaged twice. No, I never wanted to marry anyone. Before.

Now it was always in my head and I truly feared something insane was happening to me. I like Jake, in my own way, I even loved him and I guess, had no other man entered my life, there was always the chance he and I would have ended up together, eventually, despite our disastrous first attempt. It would be fine. Good even. Nice. Calm. Friendship more than love.

He was second husband material. The man you married if your true love died.

Edward, on the other hand, hit me like a hurricane.

Without warning, without my safety belt fastened.

All of a sudden, he was all I cared about and I was terrified of feeling like this. I knew it was because I was so afraid karma was going to kick my ass and take away the one man who I truly wanted.

Now I understood how Jake and Mick-Mack had felt about me, I knew how very much I had devastated them. Now I felt the way they had felt, it seemed too much, almost. Like Bella Swan no longer existed. Like Edward Cullen's girlfriend took her place and reduced her to just that one thing.

Like I didn't even care about anyone else any more.

I had to keep my own room and I had to spend time with just me.

We ate every meal together. School lunches were our time to talk and show the other teachers what we were and I understood and wanted that too. We were a fully committed couple and the short time we had been together was irrelevant and became more so as time passed and my feelings changed. When I say changed, in reality, they only increased.

Suddenly things were becoming clear.

For instance, I had never in my life experienced a single pang of jealousy and didn't even know for sure if it really existed. Some girls at school had carried on like they were being tortured if the boy they wanted didn't want them and when he spoke to another girl, they cried and banged their chests and I used to sit there and wonder when they'd get nominated for an Academy Award.

Now the shoe was on the other foot.

I mean, I **know **Edward probably better than I know myself, and I **know **how securely he holds me in his heart and I **know **Tanya Denali never meant anything to him, more than sex.

He admitted it all from the start and has never done anything to make me suspect he wasn't being 100% honest about her.

So why, when she got assigned to be his assistant in the Music Department, did I suddenly have the yearning to rip every strand of over bleached blond hair from her head?

She had never even done the bitchy 'I had him first' thing to me even when it became clear we were together.

She never smirked or whispered what a 'good fuck' he was, she never pretended there was anything between them.

She barely looked at him in breaks, she never made him coffee or rubbed up against him or any of those stupid annoying ploys some women do.

Yet it was like she had this enormous spotlight shining on her and my skin prickled whenever she walked anywhere near him. It was always for a genuine purpose, always about a lesson, or a student, or a meeting.

She always apologised if she had to interrupt us at lunch and never simpered or talked in a baby voice to him, like she did to some of the other male teachers.

She showed absolutely no interest in him whatsoever.

I guess I came to the conclusion I just didn't understand her.

The first time my eyes met Edward's across that staff room that first day, I felt like I'd be hit with a cattle prod or a tazer or something, and she had been in bed with him for a period of months and had not developed a single feeling for him?

It seemed so unlikely as to be impossible.

He'd been tested repeatedly and always used condoms with her, so there was no backlash in that way.

Why the fuck did the woman make me want to fall to the ground and cry like some baby?

Jazzy was emotionally more mature than I was.

I wanted to erase the knowledge she had felt his hands on her skin and his lips on her lips and God, I have to stop this.

I thought maybe when I'd been with him six months, it would pass.

It didn't.

I knew he had been with other women, and I wondered if maybe I was rolling all those feelings about him and every other woman he had slept with onto her, because she was the one here?

"Okay, got all that sorted," Alice asked as she parked the car. I shook myself back to the present.

The first few shops had little that Alice deemed good enough for her daughter then we went into the biggest babyshop in the town and Alice touched my arm.

"Ready?"

I bit my lip and nodded.

We walked into the first section and instantly we heard a voice, not one we knew, but it spoke a name from the past.

"Hey, Bree. You look great. Good to see you. We should catch up, have coffee. I have to dash back to work now but call me."

Alice turned her head towards the two women as one scuttled away, and whispered to me.

"You know how you wanted to know what his other girlfriends were like? That's Bree. The only one he even gave a damn about, in truth. He tried to force things with the others but Bree he kind of liked. WE know why," she chortled and I looked at the woman Edward had 'kind of liked' and felt my heart clench.

_Let it the fuck go, you stupid bitch,_ I warned myself.

She caught sight of Alice and walked over, politely looking at Jazzy and saying the usual spiel. How cute, how pretty, how like Alice she was, Jasper was gone? Really, never saw that coming.

Must keep in touch. Oh, excuse me, nice to meet you,Bella. Really? Edward's girlfriend. Happy for you both. Nice meeting you, bye.

All I saw was someone who had been with MY Edward.

Shit, I had been with two other guys and he had never even got jealous about that or lectured me about the messes I caused.

He accepted my past, so what the Hell was wrong with me?

Jesus, what if he had loved them? What if Tanya and Bree had broken his heart? How would I have coped knowing he _loved _them? He didn't, he just had sex with them.

"Alice, am I insane? Am I going to drive him away with this jealousy?" I asked her, knowing she would answer me truthfully.

"Edward's not even aware of your struggles. He knows there's something keeping you from committing to him 100% 24/7, but he would be shocked if he ever found out it was jealousy.

He never felt much at all for any of them."

"Then what was he doing in their beds?" I ranted. It was so unfair, I slept with Jake and Michael to try and get a feeling of commitment, Edward did the same with Bree and the others.

That's what people do. They try one another on for size, for fit, and move on if it's not right for them.

Why did I wish he had stayed celibate until I came back? I never knew I would be back, how could he?

Why did I dismiss my other two so-called lovers so easily, knowing they meant so little to me, yet hold his against him?

Sometimes I even wished we had not slept together at all back then. It was as if being his first gave me the right to expect him to keep himself for me alone.

God, right now I hate Charlie so much I would probably punch him if he was here. He did this, he sent me away from Edward.

Then I finally got it.

I had fallen in love with Edward Cullen when I was fifteen years old and had never fallen out of love with him. Why didn't I know this already?

Those women had been with the man I loved, when I still loved him. I was seeing his affairs with them as betrayal of us. It really was that simple.

"Alice," I cried and felt my eyes overflow," I've always loved him."

"I know," she replied and rubbed my arm.

Somehow, all the anger and jealousy was gone.

It had not been his fault or my fault we hadn't been allowed to stay together and grow and wake up to our feelings. It had all been too fast and we had somehow known what would happen on some level and we had crammed to fit in all we could into that limited little piece of Heaven we shared. And then , then it was over. But it had never been over, had it?

Jacob and Michael had been fill-ins, ways to pass the time. On some level I always knew there was only one man for me.

God, I needed to get the Hell home and be with my Edward.

I must have known someday we would be together again, it just made sense.

I forgave him instantly now I understood.

I forgave myself as well, though really, we should have waited. We should have had faith and known.

Alice paid for her purchases and we walked to the car.

"Hurry up, drive faster," I urged and Alice laughed out loud.

"Edward is going to be so happy."

I brushed away my tears and nodded.

Finally.

I was his, all his and he was mine and nothing would ever come between us. I will move into his room, starting tonight. No more keeping space, no more holding back.

Alice had barely stopped the car when I threw my door open and jumped out.

Edward's car was here so he was home.

I ran inside, calling his name and he walked to the landing on the staircase, and smiled as I ran up, barely touching each step.

I flew into Edward's arms and looked into his startled green eyes.

"I've loved you forever," I said and he smiled and lifted me to his lips and kissed me deeply.

"Finally, you know."

"I know," I admitted and he held me tightly and the world was suddenly realigned.

"Marry me, Bella_** . **_However, wherever, we have to do this. K is wrong. Our time is here now and we can do a registry office wedding and have the bells and whistles later._**"**_

"Of course," I replied. It was obvious, that was what we had to do. We'd been married in our hearts since that first time we were together. Now we needed to do it for real, to make the legalities match the truth.

Our lovemaking that night was far better than ever before and I initiated as many things as he did. I wanted him all and he gave me his all. He couldn't stop smiling as our hearts finally clicked together, like two puzzle pieces that fit exactly together.

"I love you, Edward. I really truly love you more than words can express."

"I know you do, baby. I knew all along.I was just waiting for you to know what I realized long ago."

"I wish we had never been apart, I wish we had never been with anyone else. I wish it had always been just us."

"Baby, don't make yourself crazy over this. The important thing is, we were one another's firsts and we will be one another's lasts. There will never be anyone else. We've forgiven each other and found our faith again and we will be amazing. We need to announce our engagement officially at the anniversary dinner tomorrow night. And inform my Mom we are booked into the courthouse to be married Monday morning. We did promise to give her the heads up."

"She can be there if she wants. I don't care who is there. Alice will bring Jazzy, and I hope K can come, it is school break from today. I've sent my parents and Rose a text. I guess they may want to be there."

"I can't wait. Bella, this time next week we will be an old married couple of four days."

"Mr and Mrs Edward Anthony Cullen. I can't wait either."


	11. Chapter 11

**Yeah, I know, a couple of you figured it out. Now I have to reread the whole story and start writing it again. This chapter is unbeta'd but the next will be. Cheers, to those who hung around waiting.**

The Bro Code

Chapter 11

Breaking up is hard to do.

EPOV

Even as I helped Bella carry all the possessions she had taken to the house she had shared with Alice and I, I missed her. We had spent so many nights just laying together, talking, touching, kissing, this was going to be horrible, sleeping apart.

We kicked off our shoes so as to not damage the newly polished wooden floors and walked inside, depositing the boxes into the newly furnished media room for now.

Bella ran upstairs and excitedly spun around, taking in all my Mom's hard work decorating the whole loft area to Bella's specifications.

"I love it. You are one clever man. I can't imagine ever coming up with a plan like this if I thought for a hundred years."

"It's awesome alright. But I am going to miss you so much. I have loved living with you, my Bella."

"I know, but it was always temporary," she said then she gasped at the look on my face.

"No, no, I meant me living there with you and Alice, not us. We are not temporary. We are forever. We have always been for eternity. I still feel as giddy as I did that first day back. It's the real deal, Edward. It's the only reality in my life"

I jumped forward and enveloped her in my arms and kissed her deeply.

"You are my life now, Bella."

"As you are mine."

"Marry me, Bella," I said again. I had asked her a dozen times now, just to hear her say yes.

We still had no venue with an opening for at least another two years and that was too far away.

I was thinking of suggesting a marquee in my parents yard and an outdoor reception.

"You know how desperately I want to get you down that aisle," I started.

She screwed her eyes up.

"Edward, you know a piece of paper won't make us any closer. What we have is real and solid, why rock the boat?" I knew she was just tired of trying to find a place.

"Because you are mine and I want everyone to know. I want you to be Mrs Edward Cullen. Isabella Cullen. Isabella Swan Cullen. I don't care, I just need to make you mine forever."

"I am yours forever. Never doubt that. You would have to be the one to throw me away. Now I know how Jake and Mick-Mack felt about me, and it's scary that you could toss me aside and leave me now."

"Then marry me," I cajoled. "Married people can't just walk away from one another, it's all legally tied up and hard to unravel and would give us time to come to our senses and make things right again before the final decree."

"Oh very good, but I'm not getting married just to make a divorce hard to obtain."

"Do you really love me, Bella?" I asked her softly.

"With all my heart and soul," she replied, kissing me.

"Then I really want you to think about this and consider how very extraordinary we would be as a couple. A proper, legal, committed couple. It would be amazing. We could start a trend making marriage become desirable again. We could be an example for our students so they know marriage still has value."

"Edward, I don't believe any other couple loves as much as we do, or feels as deeply. So what we have can't be replicated anyway."

"Okay, then how about we do this for our kids? Don't you think little Edward and his sister would like us all to have the same surname?"

"Little Edward?"

"That's what you call him in your sleep, when you rub your belly, and talk to him," I smirked.

"Oh God, could I be more embarrassed?" she asked.

"Why would you be embarrassed? I love our future children too. I want them as much as you do."

"Edward, promise me one thing?"

"Anything, my love. What is it?"

"Even if things don't work out between us, promise me you will still let me have your baby?"

"Bella, that's an insane thing to say. We will make it, we have made it. Shut up this silliness and marry me and have a dozen babies. I will never say no to one more baby, no matter how many you want."

"I don't really plan on having many, maybe just two or three," she said.

"Three's good."

"Can we make a deal? I will agree to becoming your wife in one year's time if you will agree, no matter what, you will let me have a baby of yours. Do you agree?"

"Even if you decide you want him before the wedding?" I questioned, suspecting this was why she was making this particular deal.

"Regardless of when I want him. Or her. I think we'll have a girl first."

"That's fine with me. I want my own Little Bella just like you want your Little Edward."

"So, shake on it. I get a baby from you anytime I want, and you get to marry me any time you want, after one year passes."

"It's a deal. A strange deal, but whatever makes you happy. Are you planning on having her at the wedding as our flowergirl by any chance?" I asked.

Bella smiled.

"Of course. I know you are as old fashioned as heck but I want my little pink Princess in my arms when I walk down that aisle. But if you feel really strongly that this would be bad, I won't do it."

"A baby of ours could never be wrong. Of course, it does mean we have to do the sex part for real," I whispered in her ear. "No condoms between us. Just me, bare, inside you, so warm and wet and welcoming. We will be able to feel everything. You will feel every single inch of me."

"When should we start practising?" she asked.

I glanced at my watch.

"We have two hours until anybody expects us at Esme's for dinner, we could always make sure we know how to do this, skin on skin,au naturel" I whispered back.

Bella took my hand and led me to her vast white covered bed, and sat me down inside the billowing white netting that hung from the ceiling.

She slowly reached up and stripped off her cami top and freed her beautiful breasts and then slid her hands downwards and loosed her jeans, dropping them to the ground and stepping out in just a tiny pink lace thong.

"Do you want to remove this?" she asked and I swallowed noisily and nodded, leaning forward as I sunk to my knees beside the bed, and took the lace between my teeth and dragged it down to her ankles, and she stepped out.

I growled and tossed the scrap of lace away and stood up, grazing my lips up the length of her naked body. It was the very definition of perfection.

I felt her fumbling about and my clothes fell away and I too stepped free of them and stood there naked and bared to her eager eyes. Even though we had seen each other naked before, this time it was for a purpose. A full and proper purpose.

"Make love to me, Edward," she said quietly and I took her into my arms and held her close for a minute, allowing my mind to catch up with my body. My ever hard dick was ready, between us, and I felt a tear escape from one eye.

"God, I have waited for you for so long," I moaned and lifted her, laying her across the bed, pulling away the covers so she landed on the crisp white sheet. "I've waited so very long for you to come back to me."

I surprised myself by asking her something I didn't think I even wanted to know. I definitely didn't want any ghosts in this bed with us, so why I asked is a mystery.

"How many others, Bella?" I said, as I kissed her breasts and put my fingers inside her sweet folds.

I could cope but I needed to know, for some reason. I guess I wanted to know she didn't allow this to happen with just anyone. Why now? Maybe because this act without barriers was a commitment, a much deeper bond was about to be formed between us.

"Two others, Jake and Mick-Mack," she whispered back."You already knew that."

"But no others? No one nigh stands, no fuckbuddies?"

"No, none of those. Only the two."

"But you didn't love them, not like this?"

"Not at all," she said sadly.

"What's wrong?" I asked her.

"I let them do this but I didn't love them. It makes me sad to know I did that. I guess I hoped we would connect if we did everything possible but it never happened. It was just sex."

I eased my erection inside her finally, joyously and pushed in deep and lay still, feeling that electrical current thrill my length.

"God, Bella, did it feel like this? With them?"

"No, not at all." she cried,"This only happens with us. It happened from the first time but we have always had a condom between us so it's never ever felt quite like this, so breathtaking and strong," she moaned.

"It's never been like this for me, either, " I answered.

"How many for you, Edward?" she asked and I frowned. I didn't see why that mattered, they didn't matter. But I started this, I had to answer her.

"Five," I said, "And I regret every one of them now."

"No, don't regret. They were part of your journey and they got us to this place."

"Then I thank them humbly, because this is where I have always longed to be. This is home for me, love, this is my nirvana."

I rocked inside her and started our dance, the dance we had first shared long before, more than ten years ago now. It was different now to how I remembered it had been that first time. Maybe our others had taught us what to do, how to do it, but I felt like none of them had prepared me in the slightest for the abundance of feelings crashing inside me whenever I entered Bella. The last six months had been amazing.

Before, with the others, all I had ever thought about at this point was getting the girl off so I could get off myself, and with Bella all I could think was, how can I stay here forever? How can I ever withdraw from this body and go on as if any other part of life was worth continuing when being inside Bella was the place I needed to be?

I swear had I simply stayed still, we still would have exploded, because the current was sparking and jolting between us , skin against skin, so deep inside, as my body plunged and withdrew.

The months we have shared ourselves again seemed different, that one thin layer of latex had kept us from feeling so much more. It made no sense at all yet defined everything. The buzz was incredible and Bella was shaken and gazed at me in shock as we melded and became one. God, she was right, no piece of paper could make this even better, because this was the pinnacle. This was life, love, meaning, joy, connection. This was two becoming one, and no white dress and gold band could top this feeling.

I moved slowly, pulling almost all the way out just so I could plunge inside and feel that buzz hit me again.

"Bella, God, " I cried and moved a little faster. It was like we were brand new, untouched before this joining. Like the past months were still just foreplay, not 'real sex'. This was real, this was complete connection like it should be.

She reared up her pelvis and met my every trust, like she couldn't lay there waiting, she had to meet me halfway.

I truly expected my heart to burst with love for her but I didn't care because it would be the one way I would want to die. For the love of my Bella.

My hands needed to touch her everywhere and she grabbed my backside and lifted herself in closer, pulling me deeper inside her until we were flush and could not join any further. I was cocooned inside her body and I felt her walls start to shake and the connection blew my mind and I pumped her full of my seed, giving it to her with all my love.

I wanted her to start our child, I wanted some part of me to remain in here, growing and developing, becoming the ultimate proof that she was mine and I alone was allowed to be in here, making a baby.

"I love you so much, my love," I declared as she fell exhausted from me.

Withdrawing was painful, and I was chilled as I took away the connection, and Bella pulled me closer and threw her blankets over us.

We lay there, gazing into one another's eyes and she kissed my fingers and cried small happy tears.

"I love you Edward, forever. I will marry you, as soon as you want. We don't have to wait. We would be crazy to put this off any longer."

"Really?" I asked, shaken to the core.

"I truly want to get married, for the first time in my life. I never thought it was important but I felt something so real when we were joined this time and I could not bear for anything to keep us apart. I want to be your bride, your wife. I will even wear a big puffy meringue dress if that's what you want."

"I've seen your dress, it's silky and slim fitting, no meringue's, I promise," I whispered to her little pink ear. It was incredible, this bare meeting of bodies and souls had catapulted us into another level, a whole new realm. I thanked God she was as affected as I was. It would have broken my heart, ripped it to shreds had she not been on this trip to Heaven along side me. I _was _her One. I had managed to capture her heart in a way neither of her other boyfriends had managed.

Now I had been inside her properly, I couldn't stay out.

"I think it only works if you do a back-up or five," I said and she laughed and opened her legs again and allowed me to revisit Paradise again and again until time dictated we leave this rumpled, damp bed and move into the shower, where I washed her clean and kissed her to let her know I would love her forever, no matter what.

X~x~X

We were late and everyone was already there when we finally got to Carlisle' and Esme's house. I walked around to open Bella's door, laughing at her complaint she didn't think she could even walk after that last two hours, and the front door opened and I looked up and grinned.

"Hey man, good to see you. It's been way too long," I called as my brother ran towards the car.

"Hey Edward. I'm back, I'm better, and I'm so ready to start living again," Emmett answered.

I grabbed him into a real hug, not even one of those socially acceptable bro hugs with one arm.

I turned and opened Bella's door wider and offered her a hand.

She stood there, the color gone from her face.

"What the fuck! What's she doing here?" Emmett yelled.

"Em, this is.."

"This is Arizona, the bitch who broke my fucking heart," he yelled at me.

"No, you're mistaken. This is Bella Swan."

"Mick-Mack, Michael, I'm so sorry," Bella said, clearly shocked.

My world stood still.

"Arizona?" I looked at Bella as if she had lied about her identity.

"He nicknamed me Arizona because that was where we met," she said hopelessly. Her eyes looked into mine and all the joy, all the life, was snuffed out, gone, just like that. It was if it had never existed. She looked at me with such agony it was like she knew it was over between us.

"Mick-Mack?"

"She named me that because of my name. Michael Emmett McCarty, remember?"

He had always been Em or Emmett to us.

"She was working in the office at ** ASU** and she printed out my student ID card and handed it to me, and said "There you go, Mick-Mack".

I fucking fell in love with her at that point. Don't even bother telling me there is no such thing as love at first sight because she made me fall in love with her right away. Then she reeled me in and chewed me to little pieces then spat me out."

I had no idea what to do.

"What's Arizona doing here and why is she in your car, Edward?"

"Bella and I...we're dating," I said, minimizing it to the smallest possible truth.

"Uh uh, no way. Remember the Bro Code? You can't date a girl who slept with your brother and broke his fucking heart, Edward."

Carlisle walked up beside Emmett and looked from one face to another.

"Do we have a problem?" he asked, taking Bella into his embrace for her usual hug. She stood there stiffly and sadly in his arms and he frowned and took her hand.

"Dad, Emmett is Mick-Mack, Bella is Arizona," I said in confusion. "Why did you tell us his name was Emmett if it's Michael?"

"When I first met Em, he was very angry at his father, Michael McCarty senior, so I suggested he change to his middle name before he came to live here with us. New life, new name. It was still legal, he just signed himself M. Emmett McCarty."

"But in Phoenix you were Michael again?" I puzzled.

"I didn't get a chance to introduce myself as Emmett. She gave me that name at registration and it caught on. I was Mick-Mack. I wouldn't have cared if she had called me Moron, I would have stuck with whatever she wanted. I was fucking whipped the minute she fucking smiled at me, Edward. I don't expect anyone to understand,it wasn't normal, it was magical. I knew at once she was the girl for me. Shows how fucking wrong I can be, doesn't it?" he spat.

Carlisle smiled at Bella and hugged her to his side.

"Come inside and let the boys sort this, Bella. Esme and K are waiting to see you."

Bella walked away with our father and I faced my brother gravely.

"I love her, Em. It's been something of a long hard road to getting her back. She was mine first, she was my first."

"Arizona was the girl you lost your virginity to?" he said, amazed.

"Yeah, she was. And her father sent her away, you know that. I told you about her. I don't want to be parted from her again. It's not fair."

"I never registered her name. You talked about her but you called her Isabella. I never made the know what she did to me? She fucking broke me, Edward. It's taken all this past year to even manage to know how to look after myself again. I've been like some bloody baby, unable to function since she destroyed me."

"I know, bro, I just don't understand. She told me she had two relationships that ended when the guys involved insisted they get engaged. Her story doesn't exactly gel with yours, though. Can we all talk about it?"

Emmett rubbed his hand across his face.

"It's fine, I'll just pack and leave again. This was your home first, your family, I can just go."

"No, Emmett. We are all adults and we can talk this through. Give me that much, please."

We walked inside and everyone sat in silence, Bella curled up against my Mom, her face streaked with tears. K was holding Bella's hand, looking defiantly at me, daring me to tell her to stop. Esme was holding Bella and patting her like a baby but her eyes were on Emmett then on me. In that one look I knew, much as my Mom loved Bella, we, Emmett and I, were her children and her first priority. We mattered more than the frail little girl in her arms. The family came first.

"Bella, can you come upstairs with us? We need to talk about this," I said softly.

She nodded and stood up and I took her hand from my Mom and led her upstairs.

"Use my study, Edward," Carlisle offered. I nodded, somewhere neutral. Some place none of us had been as a couple.

I couldn't get my head around Bella once being Emmett's girl. He _slept _with Bella, in fact, he too lost his virginity to her. It was too hard to believe. She was mine, always mine. Suddenly I almost hated Emmett.

Emmett sat in Dad's chair and rested his elbows on the desk, forming his hands into a silent prayer. Bella sat on the big soft armchair in the corner even though I attempted to draw her down onto the loveseat beside me. It seemed like we were three completely unconnected individuals, we were each alone here. Carlisle appeared at the door.

"Do you need me to sit in? I can be Switzerland or I can offer my advice?"

"Come in, Dad," Emmett answered and Carlisle stood by the door that he had closed behind himself.

"Tell me what happened, in detail," I said to Emmett.

"Simple, I started at **ASU **and Arizona worked the front registration desk. She processed my ID and joked around a bit and I asked her out on a date. She agreed and we started seeing one another. It was hot and heavy from the start."

Bella blushed and looked at me, and I looked away, back at my brother. Nothing I didn't know already so far. Except I had always imagined Mick-Mack as some faceless stranger of no importance.

"We meshed together really well, and we kept the new names we'd given one another. It was a new start for us both, a new life. We told one another right up front, about our 'baggage'. We moved in together after I cashed my v card with her. She told me all about Jake and I thought the guy sounded like an over eager jerk. She defended him from the start, I should have known she still had feelings for him."

Bella shook her head and curled up in the chair.

" We were together for nine or ten months and everything seemed fine. Neither of us wanted to dwell on the past but she supported me while I dealt with Michael, my bio. She was always there for me when he forgot to turn up when he promised to, or he came but was drunk and with some skanky female and ignored me all night when we ate out with him. She was my rock and my link to sanity. I naturally wanted us to be something permanent. I needed her and she had always been there for me, why wouldn't I assume we were something good, something special?

She never mentioned being unhappy or wanting to date other guys as well or wanting to move on or back. She never mentioned Jake unless I asked her about him. He called sometimes, on her cell, but she talked to him openly, in front of me, never walked away to have privacy.

I asked her about her family but she didn't think the time was right to take me to meet them yet. She said we would do that one day, if things got serious but until then, she had no intention of stirring up things back home by flaunting a new boyfriend in front of Jacob.

I accepted this. I didn't know a lot about her past, she certainly never mentioned that she had lived in Forks.

I guess that may have been partly my fault, I never really told her much other than I had lived with a foster family for a time in High School. It didn't seem to get any reaction so I never named names,or places. I figured I would be bringing her home to meet you all soon enough and I was immersed in her, in us. It was the two of us that were important and I was exposing her to so much crap with Michael, I just didn't feel the need to add anything more to the mix or bring her back here yet. I wanted it to be a fait accompli, to come home and introduce her to you all, my family, as my fiancee, not some girlfriend. I wanted you to know from the first time you met how important she was to me.

I planned this big surprise dinner and I pulled out the engagement ring I'd scrimped and saved to buy and I gave it to her in front of all our friends and she accepted it.

When a girl accepts an engagement ring, it says something, Edward. It says she agrees to marry you,and to be your wife. It was the best night of my life. My father had been putting me through all sorts of shit and all I had to cling to was Arizona and the knowledge we would be together forever. That alone kept me going.

When we got home, she started back peddling, saying she wasn't ready, she didn't want to get married. She said she felt obliged to accept the ring because all our friends were there and she didn't want to _embarrass_ me.

I lay it on the line when she said maybe in five years she might feel differently. She offered me the ring back and I lost my cool and told her to marry me or get the fuck out of my life. She called _him, _Jacob Black and he came and packed her stuff and she left me, moved out of our apartment.

Over the next week or so, she made it openly clear she was back with him, and she flaunted him in my face. He slept in her dorm, in her bed. Everywhere I went, there they were, Jacob draped around her body, laughing and partying like nothing had happened. Clearly what was a major blow and disaster in my life was nothing but a blip in hers. She cared nothing for me, or she wouldn't have treated me that way.

I was the object of everyone's pity and I had girls coming to my door, offering to fill the role she had vacated. I couldn't handle it. I didn't want just any girl, I was in love with Arizona.

She tried to call me a hundred times and sent me texts so I changed my number. She made a complete idiot out of me, Edward. I saved myself for the right girl, the girl of my dreams. She promised me a future she had no intention of giving me. You know the rest. I bailed and came home before I even graduated, and fell apart. I've been fighting to regain something of myself ever since. If you date her, all I can say is, I will not hang around and watch it happen. She'll probably do the same thing to you, anyway. She does this, she is a serial heart breaker, she won't deny that."

I turned to Bella.

"Tell us your side of the story, please Bella."

She shrugged.

"I already told you. I was with Mick-Mack for about a year, he presented the ring like he said, I tried to take things slow and he wasn't interested. I called _my father,_ I would never call Jake like that. I'm not a heartless bitch though I admit hearing Emmett describe me, I guess I really am. Jake came instead, he and Charlie decided that would be best and I packed up and went back to my dorm. Jake stayed for a week then went back home. I did try to talk things over with Michael, Emmett, but he didn't want to speak to me, so I gave up. I didn't date Jacob again, he just helped me take my things back to a dorm, that's all. He hung around to make sure I was okay so we did go out with groups of friends and no doubt he did put his arm around my shoulders and such, but he still does to this day. He's a special friend and I don't have to defend myself about my relationship with Jake. He slept on my sofa, not in my bed. We are friends, our families are so close the Blacks are more like blood ties, and yes, maybe it was insensitive to Emmett seeing us out like that, but I swear nothing happened. We didn't revert back to what we had once been. We never became lovers again, we were best friends again by then. That's all I can say.

I have no intention of coming between you two brothers, I know how much you worry about Emmett and I will step back and let you decide your own future, Edward. We haven't made any commitment to one another, officially. I'm back in my house now, if someone will please take me home, you can work this out between you all, as a family. I know how important family is."

She stood and walked towards me, pausing to take my hand and press it against her cheek.

"I told you from the start I was a bad risk and I was a bad girlfriend. I'm sorry, more sorry than I can say. I had no idea he was your brother, please believe that. To me he was never Emmett , I never knew that name. He was Michael, Mick-Mack. You always called him Emmett and it meant nothing to me. I guess it may have been on his registration papers at college as his middle name but I didn't notice it.

I should have known it was all too good to be true. Goodbye, Edward. I don't regret anything that happened between us but I am sorry to have put you in this owe me nothing. I love you."

She looked at Emmett and he scowled.

I took her hand and kissed it.

"Bella, we are in this together, I'm not going anywhere. We will find a way to work this out. There must be a way we can all come out of this happy with the outcome. Leaving you is not an option, know that now. Emmett and I will work something out. Maybe we need a little time and space to come up with a solution, but we are _not _breaking up. That's not an answer," I stated to everyone in the room.

"Maybe I should take Bella home," Carlisle offered. She nodded and Carlisle held out a hand and she dropped mine and took his, grasping it like a lifeline that was saving her from falling apart and she walked out, steadily, not faltering, not looking back.

I was feeling like my world had crumbled around me but I was proud of her for keeping it together, though I knew she would be crushed with this development and no doubt she would be crying into her pillow tonight.

And I couldn't go and be there for her.

"I will go with them but we will keep talking, Emmett. Wait for me here, please."

I followed Bella and my father to his car and sat in the backseat with my girl and kissed her reassuringly.

"What's going to happen, Edward?" she asked, clearly petrified this would end us.

"I don't know, but have faith, we will come to some agreement. We are not breaking up. I waited a long time for you and for us and we cannot lose what we have. It doesn't work that way with us, remember. We just are, and always will be."

I walked Bella to her front door and unlocked it, handing her the keys.

"I'll be back, trust me, love."

A tearful Bella went inside and I returned to the car and sat beside Carlisle. My father eyed me warily. "I hope you didn't make any promises you can't keep, Edward. I don't see a way out of this. Either you stay with Bella and lose Emmett, we all lose Emmett, or you leave her. I can't see another solution."

"I have no idea what to do, how to fix this," I admitted.

X~x~X

Dinner was quiet and tense and Emmett threw me looks that made me feel ashamed even though we truly hadn't known anything about this link we had between us. She really had never heard me call him anything but Em or Emmett, I hadn't even known him as Michael Emmett McCarty, so we never made the jump.

My brother was her former lover.

I wanted to defy them all, ignore the consequences and run to her but my Mom kept her hand on mine and begged me with her eyes and later, with her words, to try and keep her family together.

She had mourned the loss of Em from our family and she had been so happy to get him back. After all Esme had done for me, rescuing me as a child, making my childhood one other's would envy instead of despair over, like my first five years.

Carlisle took me aside and quickly asked me the facts.

"Are you two living together as in, as a couple?"

I shrugged.

"Bella kept her own bedroom, we haven't strictly co-habited as such."

"You weren't living as man and wife then."

"No," I agreed. I fully intended making us just that one day soon.

"You weren't sleeping with her? All this time? I just assumed you were. It's been six months since she moved into your house. I thought the separate bedrooms were for show."

"Of course we are sleeping together, Carlisle, we love each other," I gasped and held my head in my hands.

"Edward, your brother needs you to let her go, but it's not fair. I know that. All I can suggest is either you and Bella maybe think about moving away and staying as a couple, or else, you truly do stop this now, before it destroys Emmett. Esme needs him to stay and be happy. Maybe in time he will come to accept things and you two can start again. It's not hopeless, Edward, don't look like that. I don't want to swap one shattered son for another.

If this is too much to ask, then accept Emmett's offer that he leaves again. Whatever you choose it won't be easy. It's probably too impractical to assume you will find positions for both you and Bella together in another school the way things stand in this economy. And you both have your houses to consider."

"I need time to think. I don't want to stay in the rented house, I would rather go and live in my old bedroom until this gets sorted. I don't know how to handle this, Dad, but I won't fall apart."

"Thank God you two weren't engaged, that would have killed him. It's a shame though that you hadn't married her. If you two were married by now, Em would have had to suck it up and accept things were done and too late to to step back. Thanks, E, for putting this family first. It's really good of you, and more than we would ask."

I intended going back to pack but Esme had already gone to do that and before I knew it, everything I owned was here, in their house and Alice was in the guesthouse. Emmett was so grateful I tried not to show how much I had lost by seemingly choosing him and the family over the only woman I had ever loved. There was no way I was losing her, no matter what the cost.

I went to Bella's house to talk to her and found her sister, Rose, there, and she gave me a sad smile and held out her hand.

"Rosalie Hale, and you are the wonderful Edward Masen Cullen, love of Bella's life."

"Where is she?" I asked.

"Upstairs and she's pretty shattered. She's convinced you are tossing her aside. I trust you are here to tell her otherwise? I may look all soft and girlie but I have a black belt. Anyone who hurts my sister answers to me."

I nodded.

"I wish to God I knew the solution. I love Bella and I would never toss her aside, believe me. If this forces us to separate, it will only be because we can't find a solution that works for us all. If the worst comes to the worst, I'm taking her away somewhere far from here and leaving my family behind. I can never put anyone ahead of my Bella. Fuck, I wish we were married."

"Yeah, that would have made things more simple. If you were married, your brother would have to accept the way things are now. I know you have wanted her to marry you for a while now. She's seriously sorry she didn't get organized and do that earlier, I can promise you that. She thought she had all the time in the world. Go see her."

Bella was laying on her bed, and I went to her side and pulled her inside my arms.

"I'm going to find a way, never doubt that. We have to cool things a little until I work out a way to get past this. We are not splitting up, not really. I can't live without you. If we have to leave Forks, well, at least your family is in California, we can live near them. I can walk away from here if I have no other choice."

"Edward, I'm still going to visit Mom and Dad and Rose will be with me. Don't worry about us, just go try and work things out with Emmett. God, if I had only known, I would never have spoken a single word to him from the start. He's a great guy and I really do like him but if I'd had any idea dating him would keep me from you...not that I consciously knew we would ever be together again. God, I hate life, why does it have to be so complicated?"

"I guess it's true, nothing worth having comes easily to us. I am going to find a way. Promise me you are coming back? Please don't decide this is too hard and stay with your parents. You have this house, and your job, and you have me, Bella. Somehow we will sort this."

"I'm coming back, never doubt that but use the next six weeks to find a way. I don't want to make you choose between me and your family, but I'm not going to be some martyr, we are too far past that point to turn back now. I want you, I love you, Edward Cullen. I want us to have a future and I trust you to find a way that keeps everyone happy. Maybe not happy, just accepting we can't be apart."

"I'll call you every night, be good and be safe, my Bella. Fuck, this would happen now, right when we finally got it right. I'm going to miss you. I've moved back into their house, and Alice and Jazzy are in the cottage. I'll keep an eye on this house. Come back to me soon, love."

Rose called for her to come down and I locked up and kept the keys.

"Goodbye Rose, look after her. Bye Bella, I love you."

I shut the car door for her and leaned into the window.

One last kiss and she was gone.


	12. Chapter 12

Cheers to Euphoria9 for the heads up. I had to write this chapter at work without Google Docs so wrote it in emails to myself, and failed to cut and paste the first one. It's fixed now.

The Bro Code

Chapter 12

Bella was silent for most of the drive to SeaTac and Rose understood and didn't even try to jolly her up, she was clearly lost in her own thoughts and didn't need to be told it wasn't the end of the world. She knew otherwise.

Rose carried their few pieces of carry-on luggage into the seating area and Bella sat down, gazing at the planes and remembering a similar occurance when she was a teenage who had 'behaved badly' and been banished, just like this.

"Rose, cancel our tickets," she said suddenly, standing and taking her own bag from the floor. "I'm not fifteen and Carlisle does not get a turn at running my life. I couldn't fight back when Charlie sent me away but Goddam it, how old do I have to be before I get to decide? Nobody tells me what to do, who to love.

If Edward wants me to stay away from him, fine, but he can spell that out to me himself. I own my own house and if I choose to live in it, nobody can stop me. Take me home."

Rose cashed the tickets in at the counter and smiled. This was the Bella she knew and loved. She didn't take crap from anyone and it had merely been the shock that had made her so compliant. At least they hadn't caught the plane before she woke up.

During the drive home, Bella talked non-stop, telling Rose every detail she remembered about Michael/Emmett and trying to sound out ideas of how to make him accept she was with Edward now and nothing he did or said could change that, because once Edward woke up, he was going to be just as determined as she was to salvage what they had.

X~x~X

Edward rolled onto his other side and touched her pillow, hoping it still held her impression or at least her scent.

Reasoning with Emmett had been pointless and he had left the house and come here, instead, to Bella's beautiful little newly converted haven. If he couldn't be with her, he could be in her sanctuary.

He rose from the bed and wandered downstairs and helped himself to a drink from her supply of alcohol and decided to just refresh his ice cubes and take the whole bottle with him, upstairs. It felt like a whole bottle type of night.

He was exhausted and still in a state of shock and he'd hardly consumed four drinks before his eyes started to close so he shoved the glass onto the pretty bedside table and flopped back against the pillows and let sleep claim him.

He awoke suddenly, and lay in the pitch black wondering what had made him stir? Then he flinched, clearly he was not awake at all, but in the very middle of a sex dream because he could feel her mouth on him, and her hand stroking what did not fit inside those red lips.

"Bella?" he said into the darkness.

""Ssshhh, it's a dream" her voice replied and Edward decided she was probably right. He relaxed and let the dream Bella bring him to the sweetest brink and he felt her swallow as he shot into her throat.

Wow, Dream Bella was quite accomplished. He hoped she would stay for as long as Real Bella was absent. Six weeks? He couldn't handle half that time apart from her.

He rolled and felt Dream Bella wrap herself around him and kiss his lips. He could taste the musty, salty taste of himself on those full lips and he shook his head and reached for the bedside lamp.

"Bella! What the heck?"

"I'm not here. Your father wanted us to take a break, so this is the break. I'm at my folks house by the beach, can't you just smell the salty air outside?"

"Not so much, it smells like damp wet Forks to me," he replied, pulling her in close.

"So, how long are you staying away from me" he questioned. "I mean, I kind of enjoyed Dream Bella, she was pretty amazing."

Bella leaned in and kissed him, ending with a small nip on his lips.

"The minute I leave, you have me replaced. Nice, Edward. Dream Bella and I ought to gang up on you and whip your beautiful ass."

"Ooh, two Bella's. I never wanted to do a threesome but suddenly that sounds so appealing," he replied.

"But have you considered Dream Bella and Real Bella might find they don't need a man and just play together themselves?"

"I would watch that, maybe video it. Maybe turn it into a late night tv series."

"You wish," she laughed.

"So, the plan is, what?" he asked. He sat up and reached for a cigarette and put his other arm around her as she snuggled into his side.

"I'm staying here but inside, and you are going to date my sister Rose, who is currently in the downstairs guestroom, probably listening to your moaning and wishing you would invite her up to join us."

"Bella, be serious," he choked, stubbing out the cigarette, trying to regain his breath. "I can't date Rose. I will never date anyone else again. You will marry me and Emmett will find a way to live with it. We can move, I'm not saying it would work with us all here in this tiny town. Too awkward."

"Listen to my plan, then decide. You comply and 'move on' and use my sister to do it. You take her on a date then take her home, a lot. Have Esme ask her to dinner, get her in Emmett's face every chance you get. Ask him to go out with the two of you, so he isn't stuck at home all lonely."

"And I would do this why?"

"Edward, don't be dense. Emmett will fall in love or at least lust with Rose. They are a perfect match, but he can't date her, because of the stupid Code. Unless..."

"Unless Emmett agrees it's just schoolboy crap and declares it null and void. And I hand Rose to him and you 'come home' from your folks house and we get married and live happily ever after."

"You got it. So, where are you taking her? Maybe the whole family could go with you two and Emmett could start to see there are other girls who would suit him so much better than I ever did. I'm so sorry, Edward. I had no idea, you do realize that? He never mentioned you or your family. He talked about his bio parents and he was always falling into a bit of a depression so I guess I went along with more than I should have because I was scared of how he would react if I just broke it off and moved out. I just had no idea how to handle things."

"Just tell me how you felt about him," Edward asked.

Bella shrugged.

"He seemed nice. Happy, friendly, life of the party with a few drinks inside him. I was still kind of gun shy but he seemed to just want a casual thing with me. Truly. He says he knew I was his One and all that. He never mentioned that to me. I assumed he was just after a typical college, passing the time until our real lives began, relationship. I hated the dorms, he had this apartment just off campus. He never made any suggestion it was conditional to fall in love with him. He asked me to move in, I thought it made sense. Dorms are just not private and I hated the walk of shame to the bathroom down the hallway of a morning.

It seemed to make sense. I enjoyed living with him, but he did have some really dark periods where I felt out of depth with him and he refused to get more help. He said the counsellor he saw was enough. What could I do? I was ready many times to just call it quits and go, but he needed me, so I stayed. I know now a clean break would have made the most sense. Hindsight's easy. I thought I was doing the right thing, being there for a friend. I didn't know he saw the whole thing as some deep bonding process. I was so done by that scene in the restaurant but consider my side of things. What should I have done?

Stood there in front of all our friends and said "Oh no thanks, Michael, I don't see us that way at all, keep the ring. Now what's on the cheese platter menu, who's up for crackers and cheese and a nice wine?"

"So, you did explain as soon as you got back to the apartment?"

"Of course I did. He flew into a rage and accused me of leading him on. I tried to ease the situation but made it worse. I suggested we thought about things, where we wanted to be in five years time, maybe by then... It was meant to be an easing out , a way he could come to the same conclusion. That we didn't have what it took to ever consider anything more than casual shacking up together. Then he said 'But I saved myself for you. I kept my virginity for the right girl and now you say that isn't you?'"

"I freaked. I never saw him cashing his v card as an honor, I just thought he was like most guys who somehow managed to keep it so long. Just looking for a willing girl to rid that burden. I mean, I've never met another guy with those ideals, Edward. College sex is just college sex. Hardly anyone takes it seriously."

"Emmett's always been different," Edward replied. "You weren't to know that. He internalises and assumes you can read his mind and know what he is thinking. So, you think he'll fall for Rose?" he smirked.

"Abso-fucking-lutely. They are so suited and she kept every photo I ever emailed her when he and I were dating. I mean, who does that? She thought he was Hell cute and I caught her using one of him taken during a football game as her screen saver. She insisted it was merely because she was a sports buff. Oh, do something to his jeep. Take some vital part out and have her fix it for him. She is awesome around cars. She knows so much more than Jake, even. And he knows everything."

"And is Jake in on the lie? That you are at your parents house right now?"

"Yeah, he is a little pissed about it. He says I have to go there now and then to be in photos to prove where I am spending time, in my bikini, on the beach. "

"I could always come and take those photos for you. I'm pretty handy with a camera," he whispered, nuzzling her neck.

"Edward, you naughty boy. I'm not sure my bikini would be safe," she replied, kissing him softly.

"Oh your bikini will be very safe, in the back pocket of my board shorts," he promised, pulling her on top of his body, reaching for her breasts. "Your turn, you never got anything out of that blow job for yourself."

"Oh, my, what is a girl to do? I should say no and make you stay true to your absent girlfriend but I guess Dream Bella may just be something of a slut."

"Oh that's my very favorite type of Dream girl," Edward assured her, slipping her clothing off her body.

X~x~X

"So, you two seem to have gotten over your break up really fast," Rose chuckled, pouring cream into her morning coffee. "I should make Edward do some PDA's with me now, to make up for me having to listen to that bed thumping all night long."

"We had breaking up sex to do, then rebound sex, then making up sex, the list just went on and on," Bella sighed.

"And yet you managed to achieve them all in one single night," Rose laughed.

"Oh, that was just the practice run," Edward replied, winking at Bella.

"You are supposed to be dating me, may I remind you. Not having mad sexcapades with your ex, in my hearing."

"Buy an iPod," Bella suggested.

"I can't be all into you, I'm rebounding, the love of my life just left me," Edward said to Rose. "So, no PDA's, I can't kiss you, these lips are spoken for."

"And so is every other part of your body," Bella chimed in,

"Dammit, I hate it when guys are still into their exes," Rose sighed. "Emmett is, like, completely over you? He doesn't secretly love you still, right?"

"He may hate me, I don't think love has any place in his heart for me," her sister answered.

"And my job is to subtly encourage him to want me even though I am Edward's rebound girl. So, do I get to cheat on Edward should the occasion arise, so to speak?"

Edward considered this.

"I don't think Emmett would do that. And we need the whole epiphany. We need him to realize if the right girl appears, her past with your brother is irelevant. So, no real cheating. You can kiss and touch, okay. You agree, Bella?"

"Whatever. I'm lying brokenhearted on the beach. Wait, what am I going to do to amuse myself inside this damned house all day long?"

"I suspect Rose and I will be back here for rebound sex, a lot," Edward replied.

"Yeah, the real question is, what do I do with myself while you two break that poor bed upstairs?"Rose said.

"Edward will let you play with one of his cars, in the garage," Bella said, looking at Edward.

"Oh my God. The Alfa?" Rose begged.

Edward smiled. "I guess I'm willing to sacrifice the Alfa but test drive her carefully, she is a very sensitive girl."

"Oh I will love her like she is my own. When do we get to bring her here?"

"There's no time like the present. Call Esme and tell her you are bringing Rose home for lunch" Bella suggested.

"Oh, I just love High School," Rose chortled.

"What?" Bella questioned.

"This is so High school. All the deceit and pretending. Secret girlfriend, rebound girl."

"But you never got to play with an Alfa in High School," Bella reminded her.

"Better than High school, better than college even."

"Really Rose, you prefer hot cars to hot sex with hot guys? I know you did that, a lot, at college. You did send me photos."

"Oh not that kind of photos," Rose said, in response to Edward's raised eyebrows. "I just sent her pics of my various lovers, after the fact."

"Come on, time to meet the family," Edward stated, pulling Bella into his arms and kissing her soundly. "Keep that bikini top on, Missy. No letting beach bums perve at the girls."

"I shall keep them fully clothed until you get home here to perve at them yourself," she promised.

Edward kissed her again and walked outside, stretching his arms above his head, and Rose tapped her foot in annoyance.

"Edward," she cautioned. "Wipe the 'I've just been fucked' grin off your face and replace it with an emo scowl," she ordered.

"Keep reminding me or I will give the entire game away," he grinned, then he frowned and mussed his hair and looked grim.

"Come on, Pretend Rebound Girl. Come shock the parents. And make sure Emmett cops an eyeful of those legs of yours."

"Are the Daisy Dukes too much?" Rose asked.

"Oh no, I think they are just right," Edward laughed.

X~x~X

Esme rushed to open the front door and stopped in shock. Edward looked as she expected. Tired, purple bags under his eyes, the poor man had not gotten any sleep at all, clearly. And his hair looked like hands had ravaged it all night long. But the blond at his side? What was going on?

"Mom, this is Rose. She's Bella's sister and no, she hasn't ever been with either of my brothers so I am allowed to do whatever I want with her. I don't need anyone's permission," he growled and walked inside, dropping onto the sofa and laying his head back.

"She's house sitting Bella's house and I'm helping her."

He spoke curtly, leaving no doubt he didn't want or need any replies.

He was so tired. He had not expected he would be needed to perform all night when he drank that liquor and now he felt like he hadn't slept in a month. Maybe sleeping during the day was a sign of depression. He hoped so.

K skipped into the room, holding Emmett's hand and Edward watched between almost closed eyelids as his brother stopped dead and swallowed at the sight of Rosalie.

Yes.

"Hi, I'm Rose. I'm helping Edward cope with his loss," she said brightly, holding out a hand to Emmett.

Em wiped his hand on his jeans, suddenly aware his palms were sweating.

"I'm...Emmett," he replied when his name finally appeared in his brain. He kept her hand in his rather too long and she giggled and finally took it back.

Emmett sank onto the couch beside his brother.

"I'm K and I'm Bella's best friend," their sister said to Rose warningly. Then she suddenly grinned from ear to ear and jumped up and down on the spot.

"Oh, you are ROSE. I get it now. The one from her family. Come meet my dog, you will love it."

Rose accepted the little hand she offered and as they walked away, K leaned up and whispered in her ear.

"Bend over and touch the dog blanket in the basket, give Em an eyeful."

"Oh my, what a sweet little puppy. And this basket is just adorable," Rose gushed, bending over to touch the floral rug.

"Oh he nearly had a heart attack, good work," K whispered. "Come outside and run around the yard with Tilly, it's such fun," she announced loudly to Rose, leading her to the door.

"I hope you don't have a bra on, men love it when boobs bounce," she whispered.

"What's going on?" Emmett asked Edward, his eyes on the taller of the two girls walking outside.

"She's my rebound, shut the fuck up. You got what you wanted," Edward growled.

"But you can't just use a Goddess like Rose," Emmett growled back.

"I said shut the fuck up. I allowed the fucking bro code but that's as far as I let you run my life. Go away, I need sleep."

"I'll, uh, just go make sure the girls are safe from that dog," Emmett replied, heading for the door at an almost run.

"Edward, this is not acceptable," Esme said sternly, standing at her son's legs."I know you are hurt and angry but you can't do this to that poor girl. Bella would be heart broken, have you considered that?"

"Be patient, Mom. It's not what it seems. Talk to K later tonight. She knows all," he replied. "I need sleep, I'll be upstairs. Please just make sure that Rose doesn't get lonely, ask Em to be polite and look after her for me."

He collapsed on the bed in his bedroom and slept.


	13. Chapter 13

The Bro Code

Chapter 13

Emmett sat on the lawn and watched as the tall Goddess of his deepest fantasies pranced around the yard, squealing whenever the dog jumped up at her legs and he had to force himself not to run to her defence. Not a lot of fully grown women of her statue were mauled to death by spaniels. She didn't seem scared of the dog, just acted like a teenage drama queen and he was slightly puzzled but maybe some girls never outgrew that? How would he know, his knowledge of girls was so limited.

His entire life had been so clouded by his father's actions he had never really just relaxed and enjoyed the delights a girl like Rose could offer, even just visually. The sight of those long legs that seemed to go on forever, topped by those ragged inadequate shorts...the little crop top that barely coped with the firm breasts inside... the sight of her entire tall Barbie-like figure enthralled him completely.

K said something and Rose turned and jogged over to where Emmett sat and flopped down beside him.

"Gosh, it's colder than I expected. I should have worn jeans and a sweater," she exclaimed and Em felt his head shake in the negative. God no, jeans and a baggy sweater on this body?

He had never felt quite like this before and he wasn't sure what to make of it. He had loved Arizona with all his heart and what he was feeling for Rose had to be superficial and maybe just lust because lust was definitely part of it. He shifted uncomfortably and crossed his legs hoping to hide the effect she was having on his body.

He had never considered sex could be a hobby, it was a commitment. The way his only girlfriend had never understood that but for the first time, he could understand the way she had thought it more just recreational fun.

God knows he wanted to take Rose somewhere dark, oh maybe not dark, but private, definitely private and explore what little of her flesh was not on show to him already. His fingers were not the only thing twitching and he coughed and thought about anything else but the girl beside him. So close he could smell her unique aroma of sunshine and daffodils and vanilla.

They should bottle this and sell it.

Rose shivered and Emmett slid closer and put an arm around her shoulders, just to warm her a little.

K disappeared around the other end of the yard and he stood and held a hand out to Rose.

"We could go for a walk, here," he said, pulling off his lightweight jacket and putting it around her shoulders.

"This house and everything, it's amazing," she sighed happily.

"Yeah, I loved growing up here as a teen," he replied. "So, you and Edward..."

"Oh, it's so heartbreaking. It's killing him and Bella's just as bad. I wish there was some solution," she said sadly, shaking her head. "But I mean, I understand. A code is a code and you guys did agree to never date the same girl so I know that means not just Bella, but any girl you've been with is out of bounds to your brothers."

"I have only ever dated Bella, so it's not that restricted," Emmett growled.

"Sure, and you can't date any of Jasper's old girlfriends and any of Edward's either, so really, it's you who has the most to lose. It's just sad it had to be Bella, you know. They were so ready to settle down and become a proper couple. She's been trying to find a place to hold the wedding even. So sad, I was going to be bridesmaid and I suppose you would have been Best Man."

She laughed.

"How funny would that have been, you know how the Best Man traditionaly gets off with the Bridesmaid! And you couldn't even if they do get back together because now I'm Edward's girl, I'm on the list of forbidden fruit as well. Pity really, I secretly prefer men with a more muscular structure than he has. He's a little understated in that department for me. But there's always Jake. You and he have similar builds and he's back on the market. When Edward's done with me, I really should go back and make nice with Jake. It's just the muscle thing, _it turns me on,"_ she whispered and Emmett faltered and lost track of which foot went next. Right, left, right, not that hard.

"So, you aren't looking for forever with Edward?" he checked.

"God no, there's only so much whining about Bella I can stand. I mean, I love them both but really, to me they will always be a couple, no matter what happens. I wouldn't even try and be anything real to Edward because it won't happen. He'll never settle for anyone else. That's the tragedy, neither will she.

But, the code's the code, if it means they miss out on a long happy life together as soul mates, that's just the way it has to be, right?"

Em stopped and scratched his head. "They are really that into one another? Bella loves him? Truly?"

"Absolutely, but Em, I understand. You can't have everything you want in life, right? They have to find a way to be apart and try and be happy for one another, even if it means they both stay single and never get to make families and have babies and all that."

"They wanted babies?" Em said, shocked. He had assumed this thing was transitory and wouldn't have lasted anyway, with Ar...Bella being such a commitment-phobe.

"You know, they have their memories and that's all some people have to cling to, right? I mean, they were each other's first's, how cute is that? And they were just greedy thinking they could have a second chance against all the odds."

"What's been the problem?" Em asked.

"Bella just took a while to realize she felt the same way as Edward did. That they have been in love all these years even though they've been apart and both been 'with' other people, you know? I mean, show me anyone who never made a mistake and had a relationship that wasn't meant to be before they meant their One...doesn't happen, right? And how many couples fall in love at fifteen?"

"If they loved one another they would have searched for each other as soon as they became adults," Em growled.

"Sure, they could have tried that. Just shows the love they think they feel now wouldn't have worked anyway. They just imagine they are in love. Crazy kids."

"Is Bella going to be okay?" Em asked quietly. He couldn't forget that once she was his sun and moon and very stars that lit his night sky.

Rose shrugged. "I know this has been a big learning curve for her. She finally understands how both Jake and you felt about her because that's how she feels about Edward. So, whatever you went through when you two split, I guess now she's feeling that same thing over losing him. But Edward knows he has to put you first. Bro's before ho's, right?"

"Bella's hardly a ho," Emmett replied.

Rose shrugged. "Whatever, she had her chance and she blew it. I mean, you must have told her stuff about the Cullen's, she really did know you and Eddie were brothers, didn't she? She's just faking this whole 'I had no idea, Edward. I'm so sorry" right?"

"Bella doesn't lie," Emmett replied. "I just never really considered the Cullen's my _real _real family, you know? I had a family already, they are like, my second family."

"So Edward's not like a real brother to you? Then why the code?"

Emmett looked at her and and scowled, and turned to walk away.

She just didn't get it. She didn't understand at all. Edward was his brother...God, this was so complicated.

He stormed inside and Edward soon appeared and went to sit with Rose, who still snuggled inside Emmett's jacket and he watched from his bedroom window as she held the collar to her nose and breathed in his aroma. Her eyes were not on Edward, but flicking upwards, at the windows upstairs. She would have no way of knowing which window was to his bedroom and he stayed behind the thin lace curtains.

Her eyes seemed to settle on the right window and he walked away and lay on the bed he had slept in for those few years.

Edward looked like shit, there was no question, but the thing was, he was going to use Rose and Em was an accomplice in that crime by standing my and letting it happen.

He watched them leave and he smiled at the fact she took the jacket with her.

Em went down to dinner that evening, confused and worried. This mess was of his making and he had to stop the snowball careering out of control.

"So, Rose is neat," K said, and Esme smiled.

"She seems a really nice girl. I hope she comes here again."

K stared at the blank wall and stared with her unfocused eyes.

"She will. Edward's never going to meet anyone else to fall in love with but Rose will be there, being his friend."

"But Rose deserves a life with a man who loves her," Emmett protested.

"Nope, not happening. She's already decided if Bella is never happy, she won't even try to be. She's going to be the link between them and that will be her main focus in life. We don't always get what we want in life, Em. You know that," K replied.

"But it's just crazy for Rose to devote her life to that pair. God, why hadn't they just gotten married already? Then the Bro Code would have been null and void."

"But would you have ever been able to accept them as a couple and stayed part of this family?" Esme asked and Em thought about it.

"I guess, in time. If I met someone else."

K smiled. "You've already met your soul mate. I can't see who it is but she's around you already. You know this," she said happily.

"I hardly know any girls, and I certainly don't have any feelings for anyone at present," Em stated.

K shrugged. "I know you don't love her yet but you already care about her on some level. Think about that. I see you as her white knight, charging in on your white horse and saving her from a half life. Nothing dramatic, just at the moment her life is destined to be pretty dull and boring. Only you can change that, she won't even try. What's for dessert?"

Esme served her daughter and son their second course and looked at the clock. Carlisle was working late tonight and she had things to do herself before he got home.

"K, would you stack the dishwasher, and Emmett, put the leftovers in the fridge please. I have things to do. Thank you."

They made their way to the kitchen and K chatted gaily as they worked side by side.

"Does Rose want to have kids?" he asked, seemingly out of the blue.

"Sure, but she knows the situation she is in means they will never happen. Edward..."

"Edward won't consider having a child unless Bella is the mother," he finished for her.

"Right. They were going to have this adorable little girl together but I guess she won't happen now," K said, seeming somewhat unconcerned.

"And Rose? Would she have had a child? Had things been different?"

K stared. "Gosh, Em, this whole thing is saving her from a life with a houseful of boys! She is probably glad to miss out on that, right? Four tall, well built sons, football players. Oh, and a little blond girl last, she looks just like her mother. Emma? Emily? Emmeline! Emmeline Rose! Oh, darn, I would have enjoyed playing with her and dressing her up. I'm going to go visit Alice and Jazzy. I guess she will be the only grandbaby now."

"What do you mean? I might have kids. One day."

K shook her head. "Strange, when Rose's future kids disappeared, yours did too. It's like they were the same kids." She shrugged. "Probably just means you were having four boys then a girl as well, like she was. I don't always get the full story, you know."

She skipped outside and headed for the cottage and Em stayed sitting at the kitchen table, with his coffee cooling quickly as he forgot to drink it.

Coming home had been such a strange experience.

He emptied the cold beverage into the sink and went to bed and to sleep.

To sleep, perchance to dream.

His dreams were wild and he woke in a sweat more than once and reached for the girl in his bed, only to find she had disappeared, seeing she was only there in his dreams.

He sighed and went outside to walk around the yard and think.

X~x~X

"So, how did today go?" Bella asked as she served the sumptuous four course meal to her sister and Edward. Time had hung heavily on her hands so she had cooked. And baked.

Cookies and cakes and muffins lined the benchtop in the shiny new kitchen.

The entire house shone after it's unnecessary cleaning.

There hadn't been time to get anything dirty yet but still, she needed things to do.

Once Edward finished eating, she would have plenty to do, he need not think his day at the Cullen's got him out of his duties here.

They settled for watching a movie on dvd while their dinner was digested but Bella was ready to pull him up the stairs to the white curtained bed once it was over, and Rose headed for the garage and sighed in envy at the car sitting there. Edward had exchanged cars and driven this little beauty home and she had itched to get behind the wheel herself. It had run a little roughly, something that made him frown and her crow in absolute delight.

Chances were, she'd have the problem diagnosed and sorted before dawn. She stripped down to her underthings and put on her mechanics overalls and got to work.

Ha! Just as she suspected.

X~x~X

Morning found Edward exhausted, again and it was true, he had not got much sleep, but he smiled at the memory of what he had gotten instead.

Bella rolled away from him and sighed.

"Edward," she whispered, in her sleep.

He waited.

"Edward. I love you."

He grinned and leapt from the bed. It was a ritual of sorts, he just needed to hear her say it before he could get up and leave her sleeping a while longer.

He liked being on breakfast duty and he noticed Rose had packed away the baked goods. Containers stood by the door, ready to take to his parents home today. They were going for lunch, by Esme's invitation.

Bella opened her eyes when she smelled the bacon and felt the pull to rush down and consume as much as he cooked. She was starving. Maybe all that exercise was taking up more calories than she actually consumed.

She used the bathroom and threw on yesterday's clothes and made for the kitchen.

"Three more minutes," Edward estimated and she growled at him.

Edward looked up in shock.

"What did you say?"

"I said, if it's only three minutes away, isn't that done enough anyway?"

"Oh, you are hungry this morning. How did that happen?" he chuckled.

"Shut up and feed me," she replied, lining up her plate on the counter so she got first serves of everything.

Edward relented and started piling her plate with toast but it was the eggs she craved and she watched him pile them on, and he waited for her to call a halt when he had given her enough.

"Bella, that's six eggs," he said in surprise.

"Need eggs, starving," she mumbled and grabbed the plate as if it were in danger of being taken away from her again. She sat down and ignored him and didn't answer Rose's greeting when her sister entered the room.

"I think she has some cabin fever thing, she's eating like it's her last meal of the week," Edward said to the blond.

Bella finished and sat back in surprise herself. Eggs were never that high on her list of favorite foods and she hadn't touched the toast.

"Bacon? Or have you gained enough weight already?" he smirked.

"Are there...more eggs?" she asked.

"Not for you. What's got into you? I've never seen you eat more than one at a sitting," Edward puzzled.

"And not even a whole egg, you always leave the white," Rose added.

"I clearly have a deficiency and my body is craving to balance it," Bella growled, watching Edward as he ate the eggs on his plate. Selfish, really. He had bacon and toast, why did he need eggs as well?

Rose was just as bad. Like she even liked eggs. Yet here she was, eating them.

Bella stood and went upstairs to shower and change. She would teach them both, making her starve like that. She washed her long hair and then her body while the conditioner did it's work. Her nipples were quite sensitive but no wonder, he had spent much of the night sucking on them, like he had some weird obsession from his babyhood. Must have been breastfed, she concluded and winced as her breasts ached under her soapy hands. They had to reign things in, this was crazy.

She inspected her naked body for bruising as she stood before the mirror with the hair dryer.

Surprisingly there were no reminders of last night marring her pale skin. Her nipples look darker. She shrugged. Probably some process to make them tougher so he could play his games with them.

God, she was tired.

She pulled on one of Edward's oversized Tshirts and flopped into bed and didn't even waken when he came to kiss her goodbye for the day. She didn't even hear the Alfa with it's newly tuned engine roar them off to their stage for part two of the play.


	14. Chapter 14

The Bro Code

Chapter 14

Edward looked at the girl at his side as she couldn't stop grinning at being allowed to drive the Alfa Romeo. She took the longest route to his parents house and swept into the driveway like a racing car driver. Emmett appeared immediately and opened the driver's door for her.

"Oh. My. God. I think I've died and gone to Heaven," Rose exclaimed as she alighted.

"So, you are a car buff?" Em asked, surprised.

"She was up half the night tuning the engine, and by the sounds, hotting it up even more," Edward replied. He held out a hand to his brother and Emmett shook it gravely.

The entire night he had wrestled with the worry that although Bella had broken his heart, did that make him entitled to break Edward's? Hers he was only a little concerned about. Arizona was a survivor.

Edward turned and walked away, heading down to the guest house he had refurbished for Alice. Clearly he cared little for Rose, he didn't even tell her where he was going or ask her if she wanted to go with him.

Emmett shrugged in apology for his brother and Rose walked inside with him.

"Want to see my bedroom?" he asked.

"Sure," she replied, following him up the stairs.

"I'm not happy with the way Edward treats you. He doesn't even seem to care at all," he growled.

"He's grieving, Emmett. He's in love and that isn't going to change, you know. Not matter how long this goes on."

"One of us has to bend or we will all break," Em replied, surprising Rose with his insight.

She walked around his room, and picked up some of his cd's.

"Oh cool, I have these. I love Vampire Weekend."

Em laughed. "I bet you don't get to play that around Edward. Mr Classical piano. His love of music is pretty restricted to the same few bands at one time. Does he still despise rap?"

"God yes," Rose laughed. "Jay-Z, Usher, just the names give him a rash."

Emmett handed her his tallest pile of cd's and she smiled as she read the various rap artists. They settled on Diddy and both sang along to Coming Home, Rose singing Skylar's part just as beautifully as the artist herself. Em shook himself, was she his ideal woman or what?

"Rose, would you consider dating me? I know you want to be there for Edward but I hate the idea he's just using you. He's never been like that before, believe me. He was always the one harping about how important relationship's are. How he can justify..."

"Emmett, I think you know I'm attracted to you but there's the code and beside's, I'm not your type of girl." She surprised herself by blending the truth with the lie.

"Why not?" he asked.

"I've spent years using sex as just a way to break the monotony of my life. I have never been in a serious relationship, and I've said yes to more guys than you would be comfortable hearing about."

Em sat and considered that. He had already realized this was probably the way it had been for her, seeing she had accepted Edward's offer to just be his plaything, and band aid cure for Bella.

"Do you want to be in a proper relationship?" he asked her.

"Sure, with the right guy. Not with your brother," she stated firmly.

"So, you and he are sleeping together?"

Rose turned away and looked out of the window. She knew the right answer, for the charade, was "Yes, of course, and so you can't touch me without agreeing to forget the whole Code crap." But she didn't want to start a relationship with a lie.

She knew he was offering himself with the question about her wanting to be in a proper relationship. That was all he did, proper relationships.

"Does it matter?" she hedged.

"With Bella, well, I guess in reality, I broke the code. Unknowingly. We never got close enough, I realize now in hindsight, for her to ever tell me about her first guy, or I would have known. I knew Edward's story backwards, he was so depressed when Jas and I first joined the family. He talked about it a lot until we started coming up with sufficent distractions, and pulled him out of it. But I always knew he loved Isabella. He may have forgotten in time, but she was always there. I never associated Arizona with Isabella. I did know her name was Bella of course. I assumed Bella was a whole name itself, not a shortened version. I guess that shows how little we really knew about one another."

"Emmett, what do you want?" Rose asked, sitting down on the bed beside him.

"I would like to take you out on a date but once again, I would be trespassing."

"No, you wouldn't," she said softly. "Things are not as they may look. Edward has never touched me, never so much as kissed me."

"So, what's going on?"

Rose felt so torn in two directions she just turned and walked out of the bedroom, down the stairs and out the front door.

It was supposed to just be a way to allow Edward and Bella to be together. Anything between her and Emmett was meant to be brief and uncomplicated but suddenly it was different.

Alice and Edward appeared around the side of the house, with Jazzy, and Alice waved then took her daughter and headed back to the cottage. Edward sat down and put his arm around Rose.

"What's happened?"

"I think...I really like him, Edward and I can't tell him we are sleeping together. It just seems so wrong."

Edward kissed the top of her head. "You are so right. We are making an even bigger mess here and the only thing that matters is the truth. I'm going to go get Bella. Whatever happens, happens. If Em can't accept us being together, then I guess I just take her away and live somewhere else. Thanks for helping, Rosie. It was pretty great of you to consider embroiling yourself in our mess."

Edward got into his car and sped back to the pretty white cottage and stopped still in disbelief. Bella stood in the front yard and beside her was no other than Jasper. They were laughing and Bella caught sight of him and waved. Edward parked on the street and ran into the yard in three bounds and his brother's arms were around him in a second. They both laughed and thumped each other's backs and stood away, self consciously, and changed the hug to the man hug.

"Too late, I saw that," Bella laughed. "Come inside."

"Where the fuck have you been?" Edward asked Jasper.

"Cleaning up my old messes so I could come home to Alice free and clear. My Mom died, my old girlfriend lied. Maria presented me with a boy who was supposedly my son and I thought I was trapped back in the past again but it's sorted now."

"And your son?"

"Not mine at all. Real Daddy came into an inheritance and suddenly Maria remembered the truth and took off with him."

"She always was so...special," Edward growled. The girl had followed Jasper here when he first came to live with them and because she had been Jasper's first, he had felt obligated but in time she had given up and gone away again. It may have been the lack of warmth from Edward and Em. Or the way Esme and Carlisle had tried to convince her to let Jasper have a new start.

"Yeah, it didn't really fit in with the timeline but there was no way I was deserting a child of mine. Now I feel kind of bereft actually. I was a Daddy there for a few months."

Bella grinned and tried to hide it but too late.

"What?"

"Come on, I was here to collect Bella and take her to Mom's house, come with us."

Jasper followed them on his Harley and Bella didn't know whether to talk about all she had learned from Jasper or whether to ask what the fuck they were doing here, now, exposing her location.

"It's all going to be okay, calm down," Edward assured her. "K says we will get married and have a baby and that's not changed, she assures me. Maybe we will have to move away but you know, I think something real may develop between your sister and Em."

"Really? Cool. So, we are defying them all and staying together?"

"Yep, I guess they like it or lump it. Whatever. Does Jas know?"

"You have _no_ idea how hard it was to keep my mouth shut. He was coming home anyway but he recognized my house. I had loaded new photos on my Facebook to show the makeover and he knew in that instance who I was, and where I lived. And, interestingly, he had seen a photo of Mi...Em and I so he knew the whole story. Had he been here when I arrived, we would have known everything from the start. Who Emmett was, all that stuff. It was just bad timing all around."

"God, he will freak when he sees Jazzy. She is the image of him."

"You said it," Bella agreed. "I assumed she was like Alice being such a tiny child but those hands, that hair, those eyes. She is almost his little clone baby."

"She started of all Alice but she is going to be mainly Jasper," Edward agreed.

Emmett and Rose were sitting together on the step where Edward had left her and both rose to their feet.

Em didn't seem surprised to see Bella but he was open mouthed when Jas pulled in behind them, and the whole bro hugging started again.

"They really are brothers, at heart," Bella said to Rose as the three overgrown boys mock punched and fought with one another.

"What's going on? I just got Jazz..."

Alice stood still and Jasper looked up in that instant and saw her.

Bella laughed, it was true, parted soulmates did sort of run in slow motion but in seconds they were lip locked and Alice was crying and Jas was soothing her and rubbing her back.

"Okay, now for the tricky bit," Rose whispered to her sister.

Alice led Jasper by the hand towards the cottage and the remaining two brothers sat down on the step.

"Did you even leave?" Em asked Bella and she shrugged, "Briefly, but I couldn't stay away."

"Then just stay. Just be honest and stay. I feel a lot better about things already," he admitted and Bella kissed his cheek and sat down on Edward's knee.

Em held out a hand to Rose and she sat down beside him and all four sat watching the cottage door.

Carlisle and Esme arrived home with K and the dog and all paused. Carlisle was surprised at the foursome and the obvious pairs sitting together. Esme smiled and patted Edward's head. "So, it's all out in the open now? Good. How are you, Em?"

"Huh?" replied Emmett, tearing his eyes from Rose for a moment.

"I think he's fine now," CC laughed, swatting at Em's black curls."How do you mend a broken heart? You grow a new one for someone else."

Rose blushed and Bella shook her head and wrapped her arms around Edward.

"Carlisle, do you have an early pregnancy test on hand?" she asked happily, and Edward blanched then his face was lit up with a grin.

"Seriously? Bella?" he asked, standing and pulling her into his arms.

"I was online, Googling egg obsessions. It seems it can be an early sign of pregnancy. Who knew?"

"Dammit, we need a wedding," he growled. "Soon, before you start showing."

"Oh yes, we wouldn't want anyone to think you were some sex maniac who couldn't leave his girlfriend alone," Rose growled. "All night, that bloody bed, I swear the damned house will fall apart."

"Edward's too scrawny to wreck a house. Now, I think I could manage that," Em stated, flexing his muscles.

"Hmm, it's only a theory but I guess we could find out," Rose replied, putting her fingers around his biceps and whistling.

"Not my house, I happen to like it," Bella replied.

"Is there a reason we are all out here?" Carlisle asked and Edward pointed to the bike on the far side of his car.

"Jasper!" Esme said hopefully.

"He's meeting his daughter, we just don't know how it's going," Bella replied.

"Alice's bedroom curtains just closed. I think we have time for coffee," Carlisle said dryly.

They trooped inside and it wasn't until after lunch that the three from the cottage appeared.

K ran forward and took Jazzy into her arms and sat down on the floor with her. "Guess what, Auntie Bella is having a cousin for you and she is going to be your best friend. After me, of course. Your best friend your age. You two are going to go to school together and be really great friends."

"K, they will be over a year apart," Edward corrected her.

"I know, but your baby is going to be a little know it all, like you and Bella and begin school early."

"Were you implying my daughter is not smart?" Jasper drawled and K smiled.

"Jazzy is the bestus baby ever and ...oh, I probably shouldn't tell you the name of your little girl, right?" she asked Edward.

"You know her name?" he asked, frowning.

"Tell us, this ought to be classic," Rose said, laughing.

"Eddibella," K said with a straight face.

"No way in Hell," Bella replied.

"Well, you are going to spend months trying to mix the names Edward and Isabella together. I'm helping. Isaeddie. Bedwardella."

"Maybe we should just stick with Cullen tradition and name her a letter. Dee. Effie. Elle," Bella suggested.

"Elle's a good name," Edward agreed.

"That's it! Edward, Bella and Elle," K announced and clapped Jazzy's hands together. "I knew I'd recognize it when I heard it."

Jasper walked over and scooped his daughter up and sat at the table with her on his knee.

"I'm sorry for not calling. So sorry, Alice." He kissed the baby's face and she grinned a toothless smile at him.

"I'm sorry for not telling you right away. I should have trusted you."

"We should go away together, just the three of us, and get to experience being a family, before we settle back here," he suggested.

"You will come back?" Esme asked, worriedly.

"Mom, I said the girls will go to school together, they will come back. And Alice will be pregnant and they will have.."

"K, no, don't tell us," Alice pleaded. "I would like it to be a surprise. Okay?"

"Sure, whatever. I know already."

"I'm sure you do but please let us find out the old fashioned way."

"I guess you don't want to know _the _name then?"

"Absolutely not. No."

"But you do know Rose and Emmett have four boys before their girl and you both like the same name."

Rose looked at Alice and grinned. "I only like one name so far, so you had better not steal it."

"First in, first served," Jasper replied.

"Alice isn't pregnant yet," Rose reminded Emmett.

"Okay, fine. First one to produce the next baby gets to claim the name. What is the name?" he asked, puzzled.

Rose whispered in his ear.

"God no, you guys can have it," he laughed and Rose slapped the top of his head.

"It's a great name, Emmett."

"Sure, for a poodle," he replied.


	15. Chapter 15

The Bro Code

Epilogue

Edward gazed at his sleeping daughter's face and moved her slightly, as she lay against him in the baby sling.

"We shouldn't be here. You just had a baby yourself and we all need sleep, lots of sleep. Six weeks of very little sleep is not cool." He rubbed Bella's back and she leaned in against him.

"Go home and miss the Name Grab Competition? No way."

"I think Emmett's still hoping to lose," Esme said, rocking the stroller that Jazzie slept in, oblivious she was about to be usurped by her baby brother.

Jasper appeared from the labor room to their left.

"Any news? How's Rose going?" he asked impatiently.

"No news, you are still in with a chance," Edward growled and stood to walk the floor as Elle started to stir and suck her tiny fist noisily.

"Edward, unless you have begun lactating, you need to hand her over," Bella reminded him and he disentangled his daughter from her carrier and sat close to his wife as she bared a breast and attached the infant.

"You really wish you could do that yourself, don't you?" Esme asked.

Edward shrugged. "It just seems unfair. You ladies get to carry the baby inside you and then feed it, we men are pretty redundant once we donate our sperm."

"Don't worry,Dear, I'm sure Bella is okay with you continuing to be a sperm donor," Esme chuckled. K sat up from her temporary 'bed' on the bench and grinned.

"I have never told you how many kids you two are having," she smiled.

"Don't, K, you will frighten Bella away. She will run to the hills screaming when she finds out how many times she has to visit the delivery room," Edward growled.

"Whatever, I quite enjoyed the whole experience," Bella stated, switching the baby to her other breast. "You might be the one running," she grinned.

"Never. I don't mind how many siblings Elle has. Just so long as we get gaps between them so every baby gets its share of the spotlight before the next one is on the way, I will be happy."

"Oops," said K, mock frowning and covering her mouth with her hand.

Bella slapped at the girl and laughed back at her.

"It would be your fault, Edward, you are the one who was willing to miss the births of your nephews just because I got the all clear today."

Edward smiled and kissed her cheek.

"The night has only just begun. We have time," he said with a wink.

Jasper reappeared.

"Did we win? Did we beat them?" he asked.

"I'm going to say 'yes', we havent heard a peep from Rose's room," Esme replied.

"Yes! We beat them, we won! We get the name!" Jasper cried out, dancing his victory dance with glee.

"Jasper, your wife would like you to come back in and cut the cord," Carlisle called and everyone laughed. Jasper retreated and the door banged shut.

"One down, one to go," Edward sighed impatiently.

Bella handed him his daughter and straightened her clothes as he lay Elle expertly on his chest with her head near his shoulder and rubbed little circles on her back.

Esme walked up and peered at her granddaughter's face.

"You have the best Daddy in the world, I think, Ellie."

"No nicknames, just Elle," Edward corrected.

The door swung open and Jasper appeared again, this time with a blue blanketed bundle.

"Family, and I do consider you all my new real family, meet my son, Jebediah Austin Whitlock. Named for my grandfather, Jebediah Jasper Whitlock, and he has my own middle name of course."

"Jebediah" Bella mouthed at Edward, who frowned. Really, both he and Rose had wanted Jebediah? It seemed a strange sort of name to be fought over.

"Nine pounds exactly, born at 7.23pm precisely," Jasper said proudly as Esme took the baby and kissed his little face.

"Welcome, Jeb, our first grandson."

K smiled and walked over to stare at the newborn.

"Don't worry, you will end up with seven boy cousins, you won't be all alone with the girls. And you are actually the second grandson. Emmett's pretending his baby hasn't arrived yet so Jasper will steal the name."

Bella growled and walked to the Delivery Room on their right and peered inside.

"You can come out now, Jeb has arrived and claimed the name."

"Thank God," Emmett said, walking out with his own blue bundle.

"Now we get to name our son a nice normal name. No offence, Jeb."

"How did Rose ever think of naming her firstborn such an unusual name?" Edward asked.

"It's her favorite band. From Australia. She has always lorded Jebediah. Don't worry, Em, she also likes Venom, Megadeath and Slayer."

Emmett cringed.

Rose held out a hand as Bella entered the room.

"God, you should have warned me. You said it wasn't exactly pain, more sensations."

"If I'd said 'well, the thing is, it's excruciatingly painful', would you have come in here so optimistically? I don't think so. Anyway, you forget. A few days of sitting on a sore behind with these massive rock hard breasts and a baby who can't latch on, and you forget the childbirth and suffer all new pain. Joking."

"You had better be," Rose growled. "What do you think of him? I'm thinking we should name him Emmett Junior. I think Emmett's the kind of Dad who would appreciate his firstborn named after him. He ruled out 'Michael', too reminiscent of his father, but this would be a way of making everyone assume his first name really is Emmett. What do you think?"

"I like it. I agree, it's a great idea. Have you told him?" Bella asked.

"No, I gave up on Jebediah the day he said he hate it, so we've tried a million names and not settled on any in particular. Emmett decided to wait and see what the baby looked like. I don't fancy having a son named Red Wrinkled Screamer though."

The door opened and Emmett handed Bella her nephew.

"Oh Rose, I agree. Anthrax is the perfect name for him," Bella said enthusiastically. "Anthrax Slipknot McCarty. Perfect."

Emmett paled and sat down on the bed beside his wife.

"Rosie? I thought we were going to choose the names together?"

"You don't like Anthrax?" Rose pouted. "But you love the band."

"Not enough to inflict that title on my son. How about we name him after your father or, or..."

"Basically anyone?" Bella laughed. "Relax, I love the names Rose really likes and you will too. What time was he born?"

"7.01pm, we had to wait ages for Alice to get herself into gear and 'win' the name. So, what are we naming him, Rosie?"

"Emmett Carlisle McCarty?" Rose suggested and Emmett was speechless.

"You want to name him after me?"

"Of course I do. I love your name and our son will be very proud to bear it himself. You'll be Big Em and he'll be Little Em."

"Or," Bella suggested," he could be Young Em and you could be Old Em."

"And you could keep your thoughts to yourself," Emmett replied.

"Sorry, Auntie Bella was just having some fun. He's beautiful, and I'm happy for you all but my husband needs us to go home now, so we will be back in the morning."

"Late in the morning, if Edward has his way," Emmett replied, taking the baby back.

Bella shrugged. "Maybe in the afternoon."

She slipped into Alice's room and kissed her friend.

"Well done, Jeb is adorable. And Jasper got the name he wanted. It had more meaning for him, being a family name. Emmett Jnr is perfectly happy with his own name."

"Can K come in, just for a minute?" Esme asked, looking through the door.

"Of course," Alice replied. "She missed this birth, but I guess she couldn't show favoritism by choosing one nephew over the other."

K handed over the baby boy's first gift, a little onesie with "Jeb" on the front. Alice opened the card.

"_Welcome to the world, Jeb. I'm glad Alice and Jasper got to get the name they both liked the most. I'm sure Jazzy will share her toys with you. One day. Love from K"_

"Did you just write that now?" Jasper asked.

"Nope, last week," she replied and Esme nodded.

"Now we have to give Baby Em his suit," K stated and left to visit Rose.

Rose laughed at the suit with her sons name on the front.

"So, did you always know ? " she asked.

"Yes, always. I knew Baby Em would be born first but I knew you two would let Jasper have the name. We got the baby suits made weeks ago," K smiled ." We got extras, with your other sons names as well."

"Keep those names a secret," Rose begged.

"I will. Don't worry, everybody will get to use the names they like most."

"Will Bella name their first son Edward?" Emmett asked.

"That would be telling," K smiled and winked as she briefly nodded. "I never said a thing."

"Cool, a new generation with a Jazzy, an Emmett and an Edward," Emmett smiled.

"And an Elle and a Jeb," Rose added.

"Perfect," K clapped.

X~x~X

Edward lay his daughter into the cradle and kissed her face as she slept.

"Maybe tonight could be the first night you sleep through. That would be nice," he suggested and walked across to where their bed sat, in Bella's loft. They would have to either section off a room for Elle up here while she was small or maybe think about designing their new family home before the next baby arrived.

Edward showered and dried his aching body and slipped into bed.

Bella was curled up, snoring softly.

"No matter, we have the morning," Edward whispered, spooning himself around her. He couldn't believe how much his love for her had grown, impossible as that had seemed, while their daughter grew inside her, and he had spent many nights with his arms around her and a hand flat on her belly. And now she was his again.

All his.

"Goodnight, my Bella," he whispered. She needed sleep more than he needed sex.

He closed his eyes and settled down to join her slumber when he felt a firm hand reach back and grab inside his boxers.

"You don't get out of it that easy, Edward," Bella whispered.

"I guess I have to do it the hard way, then," he smiled into her neck as he nuzzled her lightly and showed her he had the goods, already hard.

"Bring it on, Baby."

THE END

Cheers to those who lasted the distance. Cheers to Macfaerie for her prettying up skills.

Sorry it took so long, I forgot it was school holidays and we had guests. I did write the 3some, with Ed/Bella/Jas on another user, those willing to read it (Son Of A Preacher Man), please review it and say whether you would prefer it be made into just an Ed/Bella story instead and moved here, please. It wouldn't be hard to omit Jasper. It's on "Et Tu Edward" user. Link in Favorites.


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